Mega Man 6: Reality Of Rebellion
by Magus523
Summary: A World Robotics Tournament is launched by the billionaire Mr. X as a trap for Dr. Wily, in order to prevent a Sixth Robot Rebellion. As always, however, Mega Man's fate cannot be denied... Novelization.
1. Prologue

**_Prologue_**

_FIRST LAW: A robot must not harm, or through inaction cause harm to come, to a human being. _

_SECOND LAW: A robot must obey a human being unless doing so contradicts the First Law. _

_THIRD LAW: A robot must act to preserve its own existence unless doing so contradicts the First and/or Second Law. _

Hey. If you've looked through this series of stuff before, then I'm sure by now this is going to look awfully familiar and you'll probably just want to skip past it. I know I sure wish I could-all right, all right, put the golf club down, Roll. I'm doing it. Ahem… however, if you're just starting here without looking at past accounts, then a little basic preliminary history is probably in order. That's my job-well, for the next five minutes, anyways. After that I'm sticking with mystery man and undercover agent. Pays better. My name's Blues Light, sometimes known as Proto Man. First of the Light siblings… and, for that matter, first Robot Master ever to be created. I'm hoping you already know what a Robot Master is, but I suppose I'd better go over that just to make sure. Time to start pulling out more dates than a history teacher.

Let's start in 2040. The Third World War. Humanity being IDIOTS. Not that the first two weren't bad enough, but this time they REALLY did it. Nuclear everything, everywhere. Ol' Momma Earth nearly keeled over then and there, but at the last moment, everybody suddenly remembered that they had brains after all and ceased fire. And it WAS the last moment; right at first, it looked like they were screwed anyways. So every nation on the planet gathered their greatest geniuses, threw them together and charged them with saving them from the doom they had created. The name of this group was the Second Rainbow, and despite Murphy's Law, they succeeded. Earth was brought back from the brink of doom. While the story of the Rainbow by itself is surely fascinating, we're going to zero on two members in specific. Dr. Thomas Light and Dr. Albert Wily, two prominent robotocists and close friends. Together, they did what nobody thought possible; create a humanoid robot with nearly-human intelligence. A robot capable of surpassing other robots, of controlling them, of filling the missing link between man and machine, bound only by the three Laws of Robotics. Me. Blues. And at first, it was well and good; the Rainbow eventually dissolved, but I stuck with Dad and Uncle Al, as I came to think of Light and Wily. Unfortunately, life just can't be that nice.

Looking back now, I can pinpoint the one spot where everything went to hell, where the world was fated to suffer again. The teleporter accident. An invention we were testing that would transport matter at impossible speeds by breaking its particles apart, beaming them at the speed of light, and reforming them again at the destination point. And something went wrong. Our experimental teleporter went haywire, and me and Al Wily were both caught in it. One day I'm hanging with a pair of elderly bachelors and finding my place in life, the next I'm blasted across the globe and stranded in the middle of the African Congo, with my sense of direction shot. Took me years to get back, and while I was out there, the world was going through hell. Oh, not right away; some time passed, and Light and Wily made more Robot Masters. Eight of them. At this point, a distinction became apparent between two types of RM. Six of the new guys were what became the norm; somewhat less intelligent and less human, usually mass produced models like these six were under the Lighttech company name. The other two made here, however, were like me. A pair of siblings named Rock and Roll. I'm sure you're groaning now, especially when you throw me into the mix. Pretty soon, though, nobody was laughing at all.

See, we soon found out one major flaw in teleporters. They couldn't be used by humans. At all. Something about the process, about being split apart into particles and reassembled, did a real number on their brains. And Wily was the living proof. The guy I knew as my Uncle Al was cynical as hell, but still a good guy. But after his brain damage from the teleporter accident progressed, he was replaced by a murderous madman who reprogrammed the six Lighttech mass-produced models of Robot Master as well as thouands of lesser robots into an army, meant to conquer the world for him. The first Robot Rebellion, as they came to be called. Human soldiers couldn't match the robot hordes; only one thing could. A better robot. My brother, Rock, volunteered to be upgraded into a warrior machine, and taking the name Mega Man, went out to stop Wily's rampage. All six Robot Masters fell before him, and he went on to Wily's stronghold, the first Skull Fortress. There he found creations of Wily's even more nightmarish, including the madman's first Advanced Robot Master of his own, a hologram-cloaked servant named Doc Man. Despite Doc Man's tricks, Mega Man demolished him, beating him within an inch of his life and only stopping at the last second out of pity… a decision he would later regret. At the time, though, he only had eyes for Wily, and in the end he brought the madman down and packed him away in prison.

Now, I don't know what the penal system is like for you now, but back in this day and age… well, it sucks. Normally I'm all for the idea of totally repealing the death penalty, but Wily should have been some kind of exception. As it turned out, just the opposite happened; he was sprung on parole and put under watch with some kind of new medicine that was supposed to cure his insanity. Didn't take. First chance he got, he took parts from every piece of technology he could reach, built himself a teleporter and vamoosed, returning all too soon with eight more Robot Masters of his own design and a second attempt at world domination. Things progressed pretty much the same way as before, and Mega Man locked him up once more. Now I'm sure you're thinking "But Blues, there's no WAY they could have been stupid enough to let him out AGAIN, right?" Hate to break it to you, but there is a way, and it happened. At least it wasn't entirely their fault. Doc Man, Wily's mutilated "son", and the only Advanced RM he had ever built, had survived the first Rebellion, but at a price; the damage to his body was nowhere near what was done to his brain. He was even more cuckoo than his dad, and he only wanted one thing. The heads of the man who had abandoned him and the robot who defeated him. Wily and Mega Man.

By killing a prominent psychologist and taking his place using those wonderful holograms of his, Doc Man managed to "cure" Wily's insanity and get him sprung-and thus, vulnerable to murder attempts. This time, though, Wily managed to actually keep up an act of it being for real. Moving back in with the Light family, he joined my dad in creating a robot that would protect the world in case of further disasters; an ultimate peace-keeper known as Gamma. In this noble goal they were joined by four more men in their age group, plus one more. Doc Man, still in disguise. These seven formed the "Gamma Team", and together they began building a mile-high monolith that would be able to stand up to anything in the world. But to do so, they needed a certain recently discovered crystal that revolutionized the capabilities of fusion generators. Energen crystals, only found in eight places known to the world… eight places that shortly came under attack by robot armies, each commanded by Robot Masters from a rival company, Sennet Robotics. No, it wasn't Wily. It was Doc Man, trying to get Mega Man killed in combat. Safer that way, and once Mega was dead he could take out Wily without worrying about running into the robot who had ruined him before.

Sound complicated? It gets worse. This was ALSO the time in which good ol' me finally found his way back home, and who do I run into first but Wily. Remember, he wasn't really cured, just playing along until Gamma was completed, and planning to steal him. When I met the man I knew as "Uncle Al" with no knowledge of the past two Rebellions due to my time in the Congo, he quickly figured out a plan and fabricated a story that got me to working for him under the alias of Break Man and going against both Mega and Doc Man's armies as a mysterious third party. As time went by, though, I began to figure out something was up while at the same time developing a friendship with the blue robot who I had been told was my enemy but who was really my brother. Suffice it to say that all eight Robot Masters were destroyed and Doc Man was forced to reveal himself. That didn't work either, and in the end, Mega Man finally succeeded in chasing him down and finishing him off, this time making sure he was dead. Only problem was, now that Gamma was complete, Wily dropped the ruse and ran off with the machine. With my help, Mega made it inside the third Skull Fortress and faced that monstrosity… and against all logic, despite its overwhelming strength, my little brother brought down the titan. And that's where Murphy's law kicked in again; in the destruction of Skull Fortress III's collapse, Wily was killed. There was nothing we could do, so the First Law of Robotics didn't kick in, and at least the threat was over. Or so it seemed. Returning home, I revealed myself, and with my family reunited we all settled down to a life of peace… for three years. Then reality came back to kick us in the arse once more.

Dr. Sergei Cossack, a genius robotocist only one level below Light and Wily, suddenly reappeared in the public view after quitting his job for Sennet Robotics years ago. With eight Robot Masters and a robot army of his own he seized eight critical points around the world and held the humans there at the time hostage in order to force Mega Man to fight his creations, so he could prove that they were superior. Little bro had no choice but to face this threat, but I had more freedom to sniff around and see what it was that made this smell so bad. And boy, did I strike… well, never mind THAT metaphor. Let's just say all hell broke loose in MY head. Not only was Wily alive, he was forcing Cossack to do the Rebellion by holding his daughter, Kalinka hostage. Except that Wily was so addled, he didn't care that the conditions he was keeping her in would kill her eventually. I couldn't have that, so I broke her out and carried her through the long miles between Skull Fortress IV and Cossack's Castle. Arrived just in time to break up the final fight between Mega and Cossack, and reveal the real bad guy. Mega went and cleaned his clock, but this time Wily escaped afterwards. With him on the loose, we knew a fifth Rebellion would be coming… we just didn't know when. And so I went out into the world once more, journeying wherever the wind took me and keeping my ear to the ground for anything that might warn us.

All right, this is going to be painful for me. Let me just say right now that I was an idiot, and I've taken steps to make sure this is NEVER repeated. While on my travels, I had several incidents with scumbag humans committing anti-robot crimes, culminating with me heading off into the mountains to do some thinking by myself… and these incidents were on worldwide TV, in view of everybody. Guess who said "Hello, opportunity." Yup, Wily. A new lackey of his named Dark Man who used holograms was all he needed to create a fake Proto Man who appeared as the mastermind of the Fifth Rebellion. And he was GOOD; even my family were taken in by the end. When Mega faced "me" down, he decided he couldn't kill his brother, and got his ass kicked soundly-until the REAL me busted in and revealed what was going on. Confident that Mega could whup Dark Man easily now that the truth was out, I headed on ahead to Skull Fortress V. Mistake. Because you see, Dark Man wasn't a new guy at all. He was rebuilt, remodeled, revived from the dead DOC MAN. For once, I'm afraid I don't know what went on between the two of them up there; the only ones who do are themselves. Mega's not talking, and Doc Man's dead once more; all I know is that there was a fight, that ol' Doccy had actually regained his sanity, that they parted on good terms, and that the son of Wily killed himself again, this time making sure he could never be brought back. I went and looked, and believe me, you couldn't get five bucks on E-Bay for the charred remnants of his body now. Skull Fortress V went down just like the others after that, but once again we failed to nab Wily. He got away once more.

And that's where we were a few years later, in 2080-the madman still out there, waiting to no doubt launch a Sixth Rebellion. And so the wheels of fate moved once more. There, I'm done. Now can I have my comic books back already? Geez.


	2. Chapter 1: The Perfect Mousetrap

**_Chapter 1: The Perfect Mousetrap_**

"_A great deal of today's acceptance of its mechanical citizens can be attributed to early efforts by the billionaire Olivier Xanthos, also known as Mr. X. A friend of the Light family, Mr. X was staunchly pro-robot and used his fortune to fund the cause on many occasions, such as the Tokyo Robot Museum and the World Robotics Tournament…" -Famous Figures of the 21st Century_

The elevator doors opened slowly, and from between them the lift's sole occupant stepped out, an ordinary-looking male who seemed to be around twelve or thirteen. Behind the front desk of room he entered, a secretary looked down her nose at him.

"Are you looking for your parents? I'm sorry, I can't help you right now…"

"I have an appointment with Dr. Gen." The boy explained calmly. "At four. My name's Rock Light." The look of disbelief faded from the secretary's eyes the moment she heard his name, and was replaced by a familiar recognition.

"Oh! Yes, of course… right away." She fumbled with her headset for a moment before speaking into it. "Dr. Gen, Meg-um, I mean… Rock Light is here to see you."

"Hello, Rock." The door to the left of the secretary opened, and Dr. Takashi Gen walked out, smiling broadly. A tall, dark-haired psychiatrist in her forties, Dr. Gen was still an attractive female by human standards, or so Rock figured; as a robot, albeit probably the most advanced in existence, his appreciation of such things was purely aesthetic. "Come on in."

"Thanks." Rock followed her into her office and closed the door behind him. "New secretary?"

"Yes… Ambrose is on vacation." Dr. Gen motioned for him to lie down on the couch. "My sister Suzuna lent her to me… she's not seeing anybody at her workplace for this week anyways. Too busy."

"Oh yeah, she's entering in the Tournament, isn't she?" Rock remembered.

"Yes… I hope her creation goes far." Dr. Gen looked down at her notepad. "Now, let me see here… when we last left off, we were discussing nightmares, correct?"

"Yeah." Rock thought back, looking up at the ceiling. He had been seeing Dr. Gen for several months now, at his father's insistence; though he had been reluctant initially, she had been surprisingly ready to adapt to the differences between a robot's mind and the human ones she was used to working with. "We didn't really have that much time to get into that subject. I know for humans, dreams are just data from the brain being gone over again, repeated during the brain's downtime, right?"

"Something like that, yes." Dr. Gen nodded. "Although in many cases, especially in those with histories of violence, particularly vivid memories are repeated more often… usually bad ones. Hence, recurring nightmares. Although as I understand it, robot minds shouldn't naturally have that function, correct?"

"Yeah… it's not part of our programming at all." Rock confirmed. "Even for Advanced Robot Masters such as me, we don't really sleep… our equivalent is stasis, in which most of the systems shut down entirely so we can replenish our energy stores. The part of the brain that deals with memories isn't active at all. And I'm the only one who this happens to… even my brother and sister don't dream at all. So… it has to lay in that area that's not in my programming. The area even dad doesn't know about."

"In short, the part of you that's more like a human than a robot." Dr. Gen wrote something down. "The part that accounts for yours, and your siblings', personalities… personalities that are your own, developed through interaction with humans, not pre-programmed simulations like other Robot Masters. The part… that has broken Laws of Robotics."

"Yeah… only the latter two, though." Rock reminded her. "I have no intention of ever breaking the First Law… and no capability to do so. Every time I've even come near it, it's kicked in strong as ever." He frowned momentarily as a ghostly peal of laughter echoed in his head, then shrugged. "There's no weakening at all."

"A good thing." Dr. Gen nodded. "Nothing personal there, but… you understand."

"Yeah. A robot can't kill humans of their own will. Period. End of story. And not just because of what it would do to the pro-robotics movement." Rock sighed. "And if they do… I have to stop them. Although there's only been one case so far in which they have without reprogramming, and that was a special incident to say the least… and it's actually the one that haunts my nightmares most."

"You are referring, I assume, to Doc Man." The psychiatrist frowned. "The only Advanced Robot Master to date not built by your father, Thomas Light… and the one who went insane. To say the least."

"Yeah… now there was a psych case I wouldn't wish on anybody, back in the Third." Rock shook his head. "He wasn't even coherent half the time… and that kind of mind is not a good thing to be in control of a body as powerful as his was. At all. Good thing it won't be happening again… it was a million-to-one chance that his brain kept working at all. It was a broken mess."

"And that causes nightmares for you?" Dr. Gen inquired. "What about it, exactly? Is it the idea of becoming like that yourself? Or is it about Doc Man's role in your life?"

"The latter… my fights with him back in the Third were bad." Rock thought back. "A lot of my old nightmares were like that… about the worst moments in my life, played back like on an old tape recording. My fights with Dr. Wily… in his Wilymachine I, in his alien hologram, in his Wilyporter pod, and especially in Gamma… the moment when I first discovered he was insane, the moment when I realized his recovery in the Third was faked, the moment I knew he was still alive in the Fourth… and Doc Man. My first fight with him… so soon after discovering who he was, that he was alive after the First, that he was behind the majority of the Third, and just how crazy he was… and it wasn't a short fight, either. I had to chase him through four of the Energen crystal mines he had captured, all of them wrecked even further by then, pausing only to exchange blows eight times before he finally stopped."

"Yes, I can see how that would have quite an effect on you." Dr. Gen admitted, making some more notes. "What about the second fight with him? The one on top of his fortress near the end of the Fifth Robot Rebellion? After he was revealed to be the true form of Dark Man, who impersonated your brother Blues as the mastermind behind that Rebellion? Surely that would have left a mark…" She paused, but no answer seemed forthcoming. "Rock?" The robot boy had both eyes closed, and it was several more seconds before he spoke.

"I'd… rather not talk about that."

"That's your call, I suppose." Dr. Gen admitted, tone disapproving. "But I won't be able to guarantee an accurate analysis like that. You also said these were all old nightmares… have recent ones been different? You don't have to tell me about them if you don't want too, but at least a yes or no would be nice."

"…Yeah, I guess they have." Rock admitted. "It's… just something I don't feel right telling anybody about. Even my family."

"Fair enough." Dr. Gen nodded. "Maybe we can come back to that another day… for now, let's talk about the older nightmares."

"All right." Rock nodded, keeping his face blank, though inwardly he doubted that day would ever come. Some things you just couldn't tell anybody, not even an expert in such matters… because even you weren't sure how sane you were if they were happening, and kept on happening even now.

-----------------------------

"I'm still not used to this." Rock muttered to himself as he parked his father's beat-up green truck in front of the Light family's home. "A place in the city is all well and good, I suppose, but I miss the trees." After the Fifth Robot Rebellion, when Dr. Wily's robots had taken advantage of the isolation of the Light residence in the forest to launch an attack and kidnap Dr. Light, the family had decided to relocate into Tokyo to prevent a reoccurance. Shrugging, Rock walked inside. "I'm home!"

"Hey, bro." His twin sister, Roll, greeted him from the living room couch where she was watching television. "Session go well?" Next to her, the Lights' suitcase-bot, Eddie, beeped a greeting as well.

"Yeah, fairly well." Rock nodded, scratching the head of the Lights' second pet, Rush the mechanical mutt, who was currently chewing on an old hubcap. "Dr. Gen knows what she's doing."

"Dr. Gen? The star psychiatrist? Oho! Feeling your head coming apart at the seams, little bro? Lemme take a look!" Rock turned to catch a noogie from a teenaged boy slightly older than him, but nearly identical. Despite the sun being down and the warmth of the summer, he wore large shades and a yellow scarf.

"Blues!" Rock grinned, rubbing his head. "When did you come in?"

"A little while back… almost right after you left, I think." The eldest son of Light explained. For several years now, Blues had been wandering the globe seemingly willy-nilly, only stopping by occasionally to visit his family as well as another. "I came in with the Cossacks."

"Oh, they're here too? Awesome." Rock grinned. "So you and Kalinka finally persuaded the Doc to come take in the Tournament, huh?"

"Yeah… Kalinka's thrilled. She's wanted to visit Japan for a while now, and this was the perfect opportunity. It took a lot of doing, but the three of us eventually wore Sergei down." Blues nodded. Roll frowned.

"Wait, three?"

"Yeah… Pharaoh Man's here too." Blues explained. "He and Kalinka are at the hotel room… she was out of it from the jet lag, and he's there guarding her. Me and Doc Cossack came here."

"Aha. So he's upstairs with dad, I'll take it?" Rock surmised. Roll winced.

"I wish. Ten minutes after they came by, Doc Corbun drops in with Vinkus and Mr. X in tow. Somehow, he knew Dr. Cossack's departure time. They insisted that the doc and dad join them for a night on the town. The five of them are probably already drunk off their stools."

"Aich." Rock winced. "Oh well, look at it this way. Since they're out, at least we don't have to listen to them sing."

"You have a point, little bro. A very good point." Blues admitted somberly. "The memories of Dad's attempt at 'Money, That's What We Ain't Got' will haunt me for the rest of my life. One of these days we need to find whoever it was that got him hooked on the Runaway Five in the first place and do something sufficiently nasty to them." He flopped down in an overstuffed armchair. "So. A psychiatrist, huh? Didja just feel like it one day?"

"Actually, it was dad's idea." Rock sat next to Eddie. "It seems to work well enough, though. Right at first we had to talk about the differences between a robot's mind and a human's, but recently we've been going into dreams… well, to be more specific, nightmares."

"Nightmares, huh…" Blues mused. "I've had a few of those recently myself."

"What!" Both of his siblings turned to stare at him. "I thought you said you didn't dream like I do."

"Yeah, well, I didn't. At the time, anyways. Things change… I think it was around the Fifth, or shortly after." Blues thought back. "Yeah, it was a little after… I'm sure, 'cause I remember the first time. I woke up from stasis muttering 'what the hell was THAT all about?' Thought I was glitching up or something."

"Heh… yeah, it is pretty weird when you're used to blank stasis." The younger son of Light agreed. "What about you, Roll? Anything?"

"Nada so far." Roll admitted. "I haven't seen nearly as much action on the front lines as you two have… that seems to be tied into it somehow. Still, it's probably only a matter of time… if it's happening to Blues too, then it's not just a fluke on Rock's part."

"Enjoy it while it lasts." Blues advised her. "Believe me, you'll miss it the first time you wake up still thinking you're a Metool."

"Heh… is that what your nightmares are about? That's nothing." Rock chuckled darkly. His brother turned to glare at him.

"No, it's not, actually. That's just the weird ones. The real nightmares… those are usually about the times I had to get somewhere in a hurry to stop a catastrophe. And in the nightmares, I never make it in time. When you were dying in Skull Fortress III… when I was taking Kalinka Cossack home through the Russian winter… when you were refusing to fight that holographic doppleganger of me Doc Man used… when I had to hold the ceiling up so you could escape from Skull Fortress V. It's never pretty."

"I'll bet… sorry, Blues." Rock looked down and was silent for a moment before continuing. "For me, it's usually about the worst fights I've been in. With Wily… and with Doc Man." Both his siblings nodded quietly, knowing that pressing him for specifics on the latter wouldn't get anywhere. After a few more moments of awkward silence, Blues spoke up again.

"Well. Enough talk about gloominess. I just hope that psychiatrist helps you out, bro…" He cracked a grin. "You need it."

"Har. Har. Har." Rock rolled his eyes.

"I think he just likes Dr. Gen." Roll smirked.

"Excuse me?" Rock snorted. "She's a nice lady, but I think not. Even if I was looking for a human girlfriend-which I'm not, by the way-she's in her forties, and I'm ten. You'll have to stick with harassing Blues about Kalinka, I'm afraid."

"Whoa whoa whoa, we're not having any of that." Blues disagreed vehemently. "Or she'll find out somehow-she always does, I don't know how-and I'll end up paying for it later."

"My money's on Beat." Roll guessed. "Dr. Cossack built him, after all." The third and final robotic pet of the Light family, Beat was a bluebird who had been built recently during the Fifth Rebellion. "He's out flying right now, though."

"Still. Let's just take it easy." The eldest son of Light persisted. "Make her stay here as simple as possible. The opening ceremony's tomorrow… Doc Cossack even managed to get front row seats for the entire thing. She's expecting a blast." He frowned. "Me, though… I've got my concerns. I'm sure you know why, Rock."

"Yeah. Wily." Rock nodded. "I know. Don't worry, it's being covered. I'd explain now, but Mr. X should really be the one who does so; it was his idea, after all."

"Well, I figured so since he's the one sponsoring the tournament, but…" Blues shrugged. "Well, whatever you say, bro. So then, what should we do to occupy time tonight until our padre returns soused up to his eyebrows with a trail of passed-out drinking buddies in his wake?"

"Video games?" Roll suggested, grinning.

"Video games." Both brothers nodded simultaneously. Setting up the console, they soon began bickering about which game they would play on that day, and the talk of nightmares and the madman behind them dwindled away for the moment.

-----------------------------

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" A skinny announcer screamed at the top of his lungs, standing front of a vast arena that had been constructed only weeks before. "Newspeople, special guests, and spectators of all ages and species! Thank you all for coming here today, for the official start of the First Annual World Robotics Tournament! YEAH!"

"The start? Isn't that a bit redundant, since the fighting doesn't actually begin until tomorrow?" Blues wondered. "This is just the ceremony opening the stadium's gates, right?"

"Yeah." Roll nodded. "More importantly, isn't that the same guy who spoke at the US Robotics announcement a few years back? I'd recognize that polka-dot jacket and neon green bowtie anywhere."

"Yeah, I think he gets a lot of gigs like this." Rock shrugged. "Still, he's strongly pro-robot, so he's got to be a decent guy… even if he is annoying."  
"Hush, children." Dr. Light muttered. "Olivier is coming on stage."

"To start things off, let's all give a thank-you to the Tournament's sponsor, the gracious Mr. X!" The announcer reached into the crowd gathered in front of the stadium and pulled out an elderly man in black robes and sunglasses who walked with a wooden cane. Smiling broadly through his short beard, the billionaire who preferred to be known as Mr. X waved at the crowd.

"The pleasure is all mine… I am always glad to use my finances to support our robotic brethren." Much to his current shame, Mr. X had become a billionaire through weapons dealing in the Third World War. Now bitterly repenting those actions, he used his fortune to better the world he lived on… in particular, supporting robot masters, a cause he believed in firmly thanks to his time as a close friend of Thomas Light and family. "Although I am heading this tournament, I will not supervise the matches at all; this shall be left to a qualified team of referees chosen by the United Nations council for this event. A fortunate decision for me, since I am entering a creation of my own in the tournament and would not wish to seem partisan."

"Just how many entrants are there in total, Mr. X?" The announcer demanded loudly.

"One hundred and twenty-eight." Mr. X explained. "There will be a total of seven rounds, on one each day starting tomorrow. Unlike many previous Robot Master designs, none of these have been modified from other purposes; they are all designed for fighting, and fighting alone. This tournament is a test of skill on the designers' part, and the one Robot Master who triumphs in the end will receive a chance to put his skills to the ultimate test in the eighth round; a fight against the most powerful Robot Master on this planet, the hero Mega Man."

"What!" Blues choked. "Where'd THAT come from? Did you seriously agree to that, bro?"

"Yeah… it's not what it looks. Don't worry." Rock assured him. "Just wait until after the show."

"If you say so…" Blues agreed dubiously.

"The first round will take place starting tomorrow at ten AM, and on that day, half of the contestants will be eliminated." Mr. X was finishing up his time in front of the cameras. "On each successive day, it shall begin two hours later than the previous. I strongly encourage you to attend every one, and see the finest that Robot Master technology can offer!" He walked back into the crowd amid a storm of applause.

"You heard the man, folks! Ten tomorrow's the time the game really gets going! I do believe it's also the time when most of the bookies will close up, so if you still wanna make a bet on the outcome of the tourney, go on down and make it now! I'll see you all tomorrow, folks! Be here!" Cheering and talking, the crowd began to break up.

"All right, the show's over." Blues grunted. "An interesting enough idea, I suppose, but to be honest it seems kinda barbaric. I mean… we're just going to throw these guys in the ring and make them kill each other? And that's the only purpose they're built for?"

"Oh, I'm sure some of the more effective designs will be turned to other purposes by their designers once the tournament is concluded." Dr. Light assured him, then frowned. "Wait… you don't know of the real reason for this?"

"We figured Mr. X should tell him himself." Roll explained. "And look, here he comes now… and the other two as well." The elderly billionaire was approaching, flanked by two men who looked a decade or two younger. One was Asian, pudgy and near-sighted; the other European, tall and thin with a trim mustache. UN Councilor Darwin Vinkus and robotocist Dr. Trenton Corbun, two more close friends of Dr. Light and by extension his family.

"Hey, fellas! I don't know about you, but I thought that went pretty well! Almost as good as when the Robot Museum opened a few years back!" Dr. Corbun grinned. The more cautious Vinkus harrumphed.

"Well, as long as it serves its purpose… which I don't doubt it will, with this kind of setup."

"Purpose?" Blues blinked. "Okay, enough teasing the guy who usually knows everything. What's the deal here?"

"Aha, they haven't told you?" Mr. X smiled, eyes glittering behind his shades. "Well… first off, do you have any predictions about an unusual occurrence at this tournament? Specifically, around the Quarterfinal round, when there will only be eight remaining?"

"Yeah." Blues nodded firmly. "Wily. He's still on the loose, and just like with the U.S. Robotics show last time, when he sees these he won't be able to resist. When it's down to eight-his favorite number-he'll come in to try and steal 'em for his Sixth Rebellion. A disaster waiting to happen."

"Indeed…" Mr. X's smile widened. "And so, young Blues… you are aware of the meaning of the word trap, yes?" Behind his own shades, the Robot Master's eyes widened. He sputtered incoherently for a few seconds, staring from one face to another and seeing the smirk on each of them, before giving in and breaking out in a huge grin.

"Well, I'll be damned. You mean this entire thing… the whole Tournament… is intended to be one big trap for Wily? You're COUNTING on him crashing the proceedings… that's what you WANT him to do?"

"Exactly… because if he does, we can nab him then and there." Mega nodded. "I doubt he'll try the use-somebody-else trick again… he should know we won't fall for it. And even if he does, we can get THEM and figure out what's going on rather than having a full-blown Rebellion."

"I've asked each of the contestants to provide not one but two copies of their entrants… while the first copy fights, the second will remain dormant in the basement of the stadium, in capsules that will wake them up when I signal Wily's attack." Mr. X continued. "With the First Law of Robotics, they will come up and fight against Wily."

"In addition, many of the spectators and staff will be UN soldiers in cover, who will also help fight in the attack, while others are keeping all the contestant Robot Masters under constant heavy guard." Darwin Vinkus pushed his spectacles up further on his face, smiling coldly. "The UN is cooperating with this operation fully… if Mr. X is right, we could end it once and for all here without a Sixth Rebellion at all, something I and the other Councilors are all too eager to see."

"And finally, you and me will both be there… and so will Pharaoh Man, for that matter." Mega finished the explanation for his brother's benefit. "And before you ask, Mr. X will also push a button that will activate a teleportation shield around the stadium as soon as Wily's been confirmed to be here, so he won't be able to just zap away if things go bad for him."

"I'll hand it to you fellas… when you plan something, you go all the way." Blues shook his head. "This just might work."

"It's worth a shot, at least." Mega looked around. "What say we go find the Cossacks, then we all go out and take 'em to one of the city's best restaurants? Although I don't know which that would be."

"Not eating would tend to limit one's knowledge of such places, yes." Dr. Corbun observed dryly. "I think they're over in that direction."

"Mega Man!" A voice from their left crowed, and all of them turned, then simultaneously groaned. It was a newsman with a mike, closely trailed by his cameraman. "Tell me, what are the opinions of the strongest Robot Master in the world on this tournament? Which ones does the Blue Bomber think will go all the way? Inquiring minds want to know!"

"Yeah, I'll bet they do." Roll stepped forward, blocking the camera with her arm. "Look doofus, didn't you get the memo? None of us are giving any sort of official opinion on the spread so we don't affect any bets the spectators are making!"

"But I thought-" The newsman floundered.

"Yeah, you thought the rules didn't apply to you, didn't you?" Dr. Corbun snorted. "Free advice, chap. Save what face you can and get lost now. Keep in mind that one of us good pallies gathered here-" He indicated Vinkus, who frowned grimly. "-Is our country's representative to the United Nations. Pester us too much, and you might catch some trouble from WAY on high, get the picture?" Turning white, the newsman turned and bolted, cameraman in hot pursuit.

"You know, I think I may finally have found an advantage to my job." Vinkus murmured. "Oh, there are the Cossacks." Three figures were approaching; a tall young man with carrot-orange hair and beard, a thirteen-year-old girl with curly golden tresses and a scarf the same color matching Blues', and an Egyptian-looking Robot Master in black and gold.

"Blues!" Kalinka Cossack smiled as she saw them. "This is awesome! When are we going out and seeing the city?"

"Actually, we figured we'd head out now." Blues informed her. "And then maybe on some other days you and me can look around some more… and if I'm not available, you and Roll can do… girl stuff. Or something. Idunno."

"Hopeless." Roll sighed. "Human or robot, males are all the same. I'm up for it if you are, Kalinka."

"Sure." The Russian girl smiled.

"Good to see you two are getting along better than that mess in the Fifth." Rock noted, then winced as they both glared at him. "Ow! Okay okay, I won't talk about that! Sheesh. So, what'd you guys think of the Tournament?"

"It was… impressive." Cossack stated cautiously. "But there are some concerns Blues and I had."  
"Indeed… and I as well." Pharaoh Man agreed. "Which is why Dr. Cossack insisted that I accompany them."

"Heh… don't worry, doc. It's all under control." Blues smirked. "Come on, X can fill you in while we head back to the parking lot."

-----------------------------

That night, after parting ways with friends and returning home, Rock Light and his family slipped into stasis… sleep, in Thomas Light's case. Roll and the pets slept soundly, but Dr. Light and Blues both stirred uncertainly, plagued by nightmares despite their knowledge that the Tournament was under control. And as for Rock…

"Huh…" Rock stood on a dead, gray plain, surrounded by formless, shifting white mist everywhere, obscuring all that he saw. "Ugh… I was afraid this would happen. It's been a while since the last time, and what with the Tournament about to start…"

"I do try to be punctual." Another voice hissed from the mist as its owner approached, only vaguely visible at first, then clarifying as he walked nearer. Not that this helped much, since he was covered in a black hooded robe that obscured his shape entirely, save for the sleeves. From the left hand, a thin-fingered hand hung, relaxed; held between two of the fingers was a comically tiny, doll-sized scythe. From the right sleeve, there was no hand… only the barrel of a gun.

"Yeah, I figured you would." Rock nodded. "Wily's going to be, after all… and you don't want your old man to show you up."

"…Fair enough." The robed figure stood in front of him for a moment, then reached up and pulled the hood back the hood with its good hand, revealing the bald, eternally grinning face of Doc Man. "Welcome back to the land of dreams, of life and death and make-believe. Despite everything, you still don't know if this is real or not, do you?"

"Well, it would help if I remembered exactly what happened here when I woke up." Rock snorted. "I don't know who taught you how to pull that so I only remember what happens here when I'm actually here, but kudos to whoever it is. And on the new look, if I haven't told you that already. It suits you."

"You really don't want to know who taught me, I think… and yes, you have. I do like this look, although I haven't actually done a job yet… but that's coming up soon in spades. Lots and lots of work's been showing up on my desk for the next few weeks." Rock narrowed his eyes.

"You saying Wily's going to get away with starting the Sixth?"

"Mmm… something like that." Doc Man chuckled. "But even before that… starting tomorrow, to be honest. This wonderfully bloodthirsty tournament the nice old Mr. X has created. Somebody's going to have to clean up after all the killing time for entertainment. You'll have front row seats, right? I'll make sure to wave… see if you can spot me there collecting the trash. If you can, you may be closer to IT than even I thought when I was alive… wouldn't that be marvelous."

"Stop that." Rock growled. "Maybe I'm willing to take into consideration that you and me… and Roll and Blues too… have something more than programming. Maybe. But those guys down there tomorrow are just plain Robot Masters… they haven't had an unprogrammed thought in their lives. They don't think anything except what they've been designed to think. They're just robots… they don't have… anything more. Anything for you to 'work' on."

"So, so cruel even now… not as cruel as I once thought you were, but still. You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch." Doc Man informed him. "You really are a heel… but Christmas aside, although Uncle Tom must make one heck of a Santa… since when are YOU qualified to decide these matters? Do you really think you can just decide if one Robot Master has a soul and one doesn't? It's not that simple. Shall I give you an example?" Doc Man reached into his cloak and pulled out a file labeled PHARAOH MAN COSSACK. "Your kingly friend, once enemy. Kind of like me in that regard. By now, you can't seriously believe he's still at the intellectual level he was when he was first activated. He's closer to you now, isn't he?"

"Well, yes…" Rock admitted. "But he's been around us more than any other… him and…"

"And the other Cossack creations." Doc Man finished. "And what about that one fella brother Blues told you about? Chopper, a Cut Man killed by anti-robot thugs? It's not just the Cossacks. EVERY Robot Master, given the right circumstances and stimuli, can progress to something more. They all have it… the chance, I mean. And as long as the chance is there… there's something." The grinning ghost thumbed through his file. "Quite an interesting case, Pharaoh Man… he was actually taken before, but he was returned. Just like I was. Still had many things to do… still does…" He glanced up at Rock, grin wider than ever. "Would you like me to tell you when his time is?"

"I don't really think you're allowed to, even if I won't remember when I wake up." Rock replied coolly. Harrumphing, Doc Man put the file away.

"Well, aren't you a spoilsport. Although you're right; even you can't know that. Strictly classified material. So… now you know. Every single Robot Master you've ever killed… every one you've removed as a threat… has ended up here before being taken on. Does that change things for you? Fill you with remorse and regret over all the lives you've taken?"

"Not really." Rock shook his head. "For one, I'm still unconvinced that this is a real, and not just a hallucination in my head. For two, they were threats… they were taking lives themselves, and would have taken more if I hadn't come along. Like you. They're the ones who start it… I just stop them."

"Good, good!" Doc Man cackled. "A few years ago, that would have had you gloomy for days. Now you can justify it right off the bat. With that kind of progression… I think you're close. Two more Rebellions, I think… not this one, but the next… that's when I'll bet you'll do it."

"If there ARE two more, which I severely doubt." Rock replied coldly. "And… do what, exactly?"

"How soon we forget…" Doc Man murmured. "It's not obvious, cousin? Do HIM in. Break the First Law. Kill a human." His eyes glowed red, and after a moment so did the eternal grin. "Kill my father."

"Oh, that old horse again?" Rock turned away, unimpressed. "I've told you a thousand times, it's not going to happen. I'm NOT going to break the First Law. I'm not going to kill Wily."

"So you claim, so ironclad." Doc Man snickered. "But the fact remains regardless. You'll kill him one of these days, Mega Man. You have to. You're the only one who can, the only one who will, and as long as he remains alive the Rebellions will continue."

"We'll see in a few days." Rock started walking away.

"Indeed we will… maybe that will open your eyes, if talk alone won't." Doc Man shrugged, turning away as well. "Something will, in time. I'll watch you and see what it is. Until we meet again, then…"

"Uh… dammit!" Rock growled as he shot up and slammed his head on the roof of his stasis capsule. "Owww…" Pushing it open, he rubbed his head. "Man… I hate those dreams… dreams about… about… I can't remember what it was about. Again." He thought back, but it was all a misty haze… all except the last sound he had heard as he had woken again. The familiar laughter of a Robot Master long dead.

_YEEAAA HAA HA HA HA…_


	3. Chapter 2: The Magic Number

**_Chapter 2: The Magic Number_**

"_Throughout both Robot Rebellions and Maverick Uprisings alike, those who have threatened our planet have been strangely fixated on the number eight. With few exceptions, each time a madmen with mechanical armies made designs on the world, he was served by eight generals. This trend held such force that the opposition was even able to use anticipation of it to their advantage on occasion…" -Rebellions & Uprisings: Comparison Of The Past and Present_

"Round one, Fight One! Flame Man Versus Time Man! GO!" The smarmy announcer, now wearing a striped referee's garb, screamed from his box overlooking the stage next to Mr. X, opposite from the one containing the presiding UN Council. Down below, the two Robot Masters in question nodded to each other before jumping into action, dashing in opposite directions around the perimeter of the area while firing projectiles at each other-respectively, fireballs and spinning clock hands. The former was red and obviously from the Middle East, due to the turban on his head, while the latter was a light lavender and had alarm-clock bells on his noggin.

"Think they're fighting at full power yet?" Roll wondered.

"Nah." Rock shook his head from his seat next to her. "They both look like fairly intelligent models; they'll save their strongest stuff for a bit-although it looks like those fireballs are more than they let on." Flame Man's shots had apparently missed, landing a few feet ahead of the enemy's path, but a moment later the fireballs had turned into pillars of flame that Time Man crashed headlong into. Yelping, the Robot Master changed his path and dashes straight at Flame Man, who shrugged and fired straight on. Although he took several hits from his opponent's razor-sharp weapons, Time Man's burns were much more numerous.

"He's got him on the ropes." Proto Man noted. "Time Man should be using his secret weapon any time now-sorry for the pun." Roll nodded at Kalinka, who lightly bonked the eldest son of Light on the head. Down below, Time Man had backed off to get some distance and began concentrating. A moment later there was a flash of light, and Flame Man's eyes widened in shock, and his movement slowed… not stopping immediately, but going at a noticeable half speed. Now Time Man dodged his fireballs with ease, and his own clock hands struck home every time.

"Kind of like Flash Man, but instead of a complete freeze for a few seconds, it slows them down over a longer period of time." Rock noted. "Smart, but can it beat whatever Flame Man's holding back?" As if in answer, the fiery Robot Master paused and crouched, then slammed his right arm into the ground. "Wait a moment! I recognize that!" A moment later, Time Man screamed as a much larger pillar of flame burst from beneath the stadium floor, engulfing him. "That's Wave Man's Master Weapon… using fire instead of water, though!" Groaning, Time Man stumbled backwards and collapsed, and a moment later there was a blaring from the UN box. Eight red lights were on the front of it, five of which had turned green.

"The ruling council has declared this fight over!" The announcer declared. "The winner, Flame Man! Next contestants, please step forward!" Officials ran up to carry Time Man away while the victor strode away calmly, and two more Robot Masters approached from the same doors the previous ones had entered by. One was small and black with a cocky smirk, while the other was the opposite; his main body was a huge white sphere, with hand and feet attached by skis and a tiny orange hat. "Round One, Fight Two! Blizzard Man versus Oil Man! BEGIN!"

"Good thing they didn't pair Oil Man up with Flame Man." Dr. Corbun commented.

"That wouldn't exactly have been fair." Dr. Light snorted. "I imagine the council had to take careful planning to insure that the lineup is as fair as possible… hm. That's an interesting ability." Oil Man had started the fight by spraying a blob of the black goop he was named for on the ground and jumping onto it. Before the four snowflakes Blizzard Man had launched could hit him, he then blasted forward, riding the oil like a skateboard around the stadium's perimeter. Blizzard Man watched dully as his opponent outran every snowflake he launched, then began moving slowly after him on skis, obviously ineffectively. Laughing, Oil Man began firing a plasma buster back at him.

"If that's all Blizzard Man has, this is over… it might be even if he has more, considering how slow he is." Dr. Cossack frowned. "Design flaw, especially against somebody like Oil Man-wait, what's this?" Blizzard Man had jumped into the air, and when he had landed he was spinning in place, a massive, rolling sphere. Oil Man's jaw dropped as the metal snowball tore after him at a much higher velocity than the oil was carrying him. Plasma shots no longer had any effect, and after a few seconds of the chase Blizzard Man slammed into his opponent with a brutal crunch and continued on over him, leaving Oil Man face down and motionless. After a moment, he rose and created another sliding oil slick, but it was obvious that the attack had taken a hefty toll on him. Stopping, Blizzard Man turned and looked back, then repeated his rolling maneuver, and Oil Man was flattened a second time. This time, he was unable to get back up, and the council once again declared the fight over.

"What's with those lights?" Kalinka wondered.

"There are eight members in the box, miss Kalinka, and each has a button that they press when they believe the fight to be over." Pharaoh Man explained. "When a majority of five have all done so, the fight ends." Blizzard Man and Oil Man departed as their predecessors had, and two new ones took their place. The first was squat and stocky, orange with twin fans on his shoulders and a propeller on his head. The other was wearing what looked like blast armor with a black-masked face.

"Round One, Fight Three! Wind Man Versus Dyna Man! GO!" The announcer cried jubilantly.

"He's really getting into this." Roll noted.

"Hey, it's obvious the guy likes to yell. He's good at what he does." Rock shrugged. "Check out that fella… maybe I'm just being cynical, but it doesn't look like he's much different from Bomb Man."

"There are bound to be some ripoffs." Roll shrugged. "With any luck, they'll all get taken out in the first few rounds. Wonder what Wind Man's got." The two Robot Masters were facing off, neither moving. Finally, Wind Man shrugged the twin fans on his shoulders and hurled a shuriken propeller blade. "Hey, isn't that what Gyro Man used?"

"Looks like he doesn't have the same control over it Gyro Man did, though." Rock noted. Dyna Man had dodged it easily by leaping into the air, and at the apex of his jump, had hurled a stick of dynamite that exploded in Wind Man's face. "Ouch, that one had to hurt." Stepping back a step, Wind Man shrugged again and repeated his attack to hit Dyna Man as he landed. "Smart guy… doesn't loose his head when he gets hit. Still, Dyna Man's attacks have more power. He can't just keep trading blows." Wind Man seemed to reach the same conclusion; the next time Dyna Man jumped and attacked, he chose a different attack pattern and launched himself into the air, propeller atop his head somehow lifting his squat bulk with the aid of jets on his feet. He wasted no time in showboating, but adjusted his aim and crashed back down to earth, straight on top of the defenseless Dyna Man with a sickening crunch. Pulling another propeller blade out, he began stabbing downwards.

"Dyna Man's toast." Blues guessed. "Unless he tries for a draw-looks like he is!" The fallen Robot Master had set off all his dynamite stores, and Wind Man was blasted away, trailing smoke and landing outside of the ring. Dyna Man was obviously finished, but it was yet to be seen if his final attack had removed his opponent as well… and then, slowly, Wind Man stood. The match was declared over, and both contestants left.

"Round One, Fight Four!" The announcer cheered. "Volt Man VS. Plant Man! GO!" The two Robot Masters smirked at each, and then they both raised their hands and formed force fields around themselves, shimmering spheres of energy. One was shaped like a red V with arms and legs, while the other was green with a head surrounded by a mane-like metal flower. Neither design was particularly intimidating.

"Yeesh… a fight of shield-users." Blues groaned. "I'll bet neither of them could hold a candle to Skull Man."

"An accurate judgment cannot be made until the battle is concluded." Pharaoh Man smiled. "Though my brother's skill with his weapon is great." It looked like a stalemate down below, both of the Robot Masters were circling, neither willing to drop their shields. "This round may stall for some time."

"Nah… they're antsy." Kalinka guessed. "Skull Man knows how to stand his ground and let the shield work for him, but one of these guys will crack soon."

"And the first one to do so will be the loser." Rock predicted. As he did so, one of the shield dissipated; Volt Man's, who fired a pair of plasma bullets and instantly jumped away.

"He's fast." Dr. Corbun observed as the bullets dissipated harmlessly against Plant Man's shield. The Robot Master simply smirked and made an insulting gesture at his opponent, who growled and brought his own shield back up. "Hm… Plant Man didn't even try to attack while his enemy was defenseless."

"Scouting out tactics." Blues guessed. "Now he knows what Volt Man can do. He'll have him next time." After another minute or so, Volt Man growled and dropped his barrier again, and the moment he did, Plant Man acted. The flowery Robot Master's force field left him, shooting out as a projectile that slammed into Volt Man. Grunting, the Robot Master faltered, then stared as Plant Man jumped across the ring, forming another force field as he did and smashing into him. The landing punched a crater into the floor and embedded Volt Man in it, and a moment later the fight was declared to be over.

"How many more of these are there again?" Roll wondered.

"First round… sixty. This'll be a while." Rock shrugged. "The following ones will get shorter and shorter, though."

"Yeah, but the fights themselves will be longer, once the pikers are all taken out and only the real contenders are left to fight each other." Blues reminded him.

"You make a good point." Dr. Light stood. "I think I'll go grab some popcorn and a soda… the ones we really want to see aren't coming up for a while, if I remember correctly."

"Yeah, I suppose not. I'll come with you." Dr. Corbun stood as well. "Save our seats, fellas."

"Yeah, yeah…" Rock nodded as he directed his attention back to the ring.

"Round One, Fight Five! Sonic Man Vs. Wash Man! BEGIN!"

-----------------------------

"You aren't going out partying with the guys again?" Roll teased her father as the Light family walked into their home on the eve of the second day. Dr. Light groaned.

"No, we got that out of our systems on the night Sergei came in. Temporarily, anyways." He amended. "None of us are getting any younger, anyways."

"And yet you still insist on a gallon of coffee every morning, I notice." Blues smirked. "And you didn't take it easy on the tournament dogs, either."

"Enough, already. Save it for Father's Day or something." Dr. Light slumped into an armchair. "Two days and I'm already tired of this. A Robot Master tournament sounds all well and good, but there's only so much amateurs can do. At least the next two days will be significantly shorter, and then with luck the trap shall be sprung."

"Yeah… I just hope it works." Rock sighed. "This has been interesting, but we can't forget the real reason we're doing it. On the fifth day, all signs point to Wily showing up at any time, so we'll have to be careful to remain on the alert. Even with all the planning Mr. X has been doing, there's always the chance that something will go wrong."

"Stop, or you'll jinx it." Roll advised him. "I think this time we might actually be able to pull it off and turn the tables on the old maniac. If he shows up-and he won't be able to resist doing so-we'll have him. In the meantime, let's just try to enjoy as much of it as we can, hm? It's not ALL bad."

"Yeah… I liked seeing both Doc Corbun's and Mr. X's guys in action." Blues admitted. "Seems the spectators did too. Both of those guys are shoe-ins for the final eight." He glanced over at his younger brother. "So, what do you think, Rock? Who're your calls for the survivors?"

"Didn't we talk to a newsie about this already?" Rock complained.

"That was public. We're your family. Entirely different stories." Roll threw a sofa cushion at him. "Spill, bro."

"All right, all right." The younger son of Light gave in. "First off, as Blues said, both Mr. X and Dr. Corbun's are definitely going all the way. They've been mowing down their opponents completely. Doc Corbun's isn't surprising, but for a first Robot Master, Mr. X's is pretty damn good." He thought for a moment. "Let's go ahead and add Dr. Suzuna Gen's to the list… he seemed to be doing quite well. Go Japan."

"Suzuna Gen is highly respected in the robotics field, though this is the first Robot Master I've seen from her." Dr. Light agreed. "I was going to suggest that if you didn't. Who else?"

"Well…" Rock frowned. "Don't tell Doc Corbun this, but… that guy US Robotics sent looks like he's a pretty heavy hitter. If he doesn't go up against one of those three, he'll probably last out the others."

"Yeah, Doc Corbun wouldn't be too happy to hear that." Roll winced.

"Am I missing something here?" Blues frowned. "I thought he worked for US."

"Trent retired a year ago and moved back to Britain." Dr. Light explained. "His parting of ways with US was quite explosive, it seems, and they haven't been on good terms ever since."

"Aha." Blues nodded. "Yeah, that would do it. That leaves four left from fellas we don't know."

"Flame Man looks good… so does Wind Man. Better than the others, anwyays." Rock decided after a moment's thought. "They look like more of the same of old stuff at first, but they've got some interesting programming that should carry them. I'll put Blizzard Man as the seventh… I know he looks weird, but he's powerful."

"Yeah, that much is apparent. So far, you're matching my own mental predictions." Blues informed him, then winced. "So if the eighth one is a match too, I'm guessing you're not too happy about it."

"No… I hate to say it, but the number eight right now is probably Plant Man." Rock made a face. "Unlike Flame and Wind, he IS more of the same… just another force field user, and unlike Star Man before him, he's got nothing new to make him special. But he knows how to use that style enough to get past most of the others. He could get taken out by one of the other contenders, but he's more likely than anybody else for the eighth position."

"So that's the projected lineup. We'll make sure not to tell any bookies." Roll smirked. "Of course, they'll all probably go into collective apoplexy once everything goes down on the fifth day and the remainder of the tourney's called off."

"Not much they'll be able to do if Albert attacks." Dr. Light shrugged, then frowned. "Unless they have connections higher up… that could turn messy. If they have strings to pull, they might make the tournament finish regardless. What will you do if that happens, Rock? You don't seriously intend to fight the victor, do you?"

"Of course not. No way in heck." Rock stated firmly. "Not even CLOSE to my kind of thing. If it looks like it's going that way… well, I'm sure there's some way I can arrange a substitute. Maybe one of Doc Cossack's more battle-loving guys will agree to come down… Ring Man or Drill Man."

"No need for that, bro. I'll do it." Blues volunteered. "I can whip out my old Break Man mask… I've kinda wanted an excuse to use that thing again for a little while now. Might even be kinda fun."

"Hey, thanks." Rock smiled.

"What are big brothers for, eh?" Blues grinned. "Besides, I'll get to show off in front of Kalinka."

"I knew there had to be an ulterior motive." Roll smirked. "Couldn't you just bench press your weight in Metools or something? Yipe!" She ducked a flying book. "Was that Moby Dick? That could have killed me!"

"Correction. That could have killed a human." Blues wagged a finger. "You, it just would have bounced off. And not just because of skull thickness."

"That's it." Roll grabbed a fireplace poker, and with a yelp, Blues dashed towards the back with his sister in hot pursuit.

"Sometimes I think some insanity leaked over from the 'Uncle Al' side of the family after all." Rock sighed. "We should probably try and get to sleep before they take this upstairs."

"Sounds like a good idea." Dr. Light rose, and they walked on up, ignoring the curses and thuds from the backyard. "I just hope they don't disturb the neighbors."

"If they're not used to this kind of thing already with Rush digging up hydrants and burying them, they never will be." Rock chuckled. "Get some sleep, pop… we've still got a few more days ahead of us."

-----------------------------

"Thirty-two left." Roll sighed as they all took their seats on the third day. "At least most of the losers are gone now. Some of those were just painful to watch."

"You refer to Union Man Vs. Joe Man, I take it." Dr. Cossack shuddered. "How those two made it into this tournament, I will never know. At least the 'winner' of that one went up against your boy in the second round, Trent… he did the world a favor by removing that excuse for robotics."

"He aims to please." Dr. Corbun smirked. "I think he's early in this round, so you'll see him again."

"Good day, ladies and gentlemen!" The announcer yelled. "Welcome back to the First Annual World Robotics Tournament! It's the third round, and we've already said goodbye to three quarters of our gridiron gladiators! And that'll be knocked down even more today, as half of the remaining thirty-two are eliminated! Let's see who's got the gears to keep on going! In our first matchup of the day, we've got the axe-slinging ace from the Old West! Built by Stephen Wilcox, head of US Robotics, it's TOMAHAWK MAN! And his opponent, the sharp-slicing star from the friendly fellas of the Snakebite Bikers, welcome back BLADE MAN!"

"Wilcox? Pah. He couldn't build a Metool without somebody holding his hand." Dr. Corbun snorted. "My wallet says he had his best guys build that for him and entered it under his name."

"If we took bets like that, doc, dad would run out of money to build his stuff." Blues chuckled. "Holding a bit of a grudge with US Robotics, are we?"

"There's a reason I quit my job from there… well, aside from having enough to retire." Dr. Corbun muttered. "Well, let's see how he does in a battle of slicing projectiles." The two Robot Masters were squaring off down below. As his name suggested, Tomahawk Man was designed like a native American, with a feathery headdress and throwing axes. Blade Man, on the other hand, was an unusual purple and yellow considering his biker builders, who were reflected in his visored helmet. Nodding at each other, they suddenly dashed forward, both forming their weapons and slashing at each other as they ran past. When they stopped at opposite sides of the ring again, Blade Man had a sparking cut on his torso, while Tomahawk Man appeared unscathed. Snarling, Blade Man threw out his weapon, a three-bladed curved star. Tomahawk Man stood his ground and returned fire, ripping out a throwing axe that knocked Blade Man's shot out of the air and continued on to strike him in the head. Even as it hit, he was already moving forward, and as Blade Man stumbled, Tomahawk Man was on him with an even more powerful close-range slash that sent him flying out of the ring, unmoving.

"The winner! Tomahawk Man!" The announcer called as the green lights went on. "All right, folks, you'll love this one! We've got the charging champion, Bit Man, coming up next, and his opponent is one of the tournament's biggest crowd-pleasers! That's right, it's Dr. Trent Corbun's latest creation, KNIGHT MAN!" At the name announcement, the spectators erupted in cheers.

"Hey, check it out. Tomahawk Man doesn't look happy." Blues observed. Indeed, the winner of the previous fight was glaring at the happy crowds. As Knight Man walked out, Tomahawk Man crossed to him and began a conversation, inaudible over the cheering. After a few moments, Knight Man turned and walked past him onto the ring, and Tomahawk Man angrily walked out.

"What was up with that, do you suppose?" Dr. Light wondered.

"At a guess, maybe US programmed him to have it out for Knight Man." Dr. Corbun shrugged. "They weren't too happy with me after I left them. Ah well, I'm sure Knight can take him if they end up going head-to-head. That's for the future, though… he's got a different fight now." Down below, Knight Man was bowing formally to his opponent; as his name suggested, he was a heavily-armored robot in black, with a massive shield on his left arm and a helmet covering his head. The yellow, pointy-armed Bit Man paused, then did so as well, but remained in that position as he fired the electric-charged spikes on his arms forward and followed them with a charging head butt. Knight Man remained stationary, holding his shield out even as he threw his right arm back. The projectiles were deflected, and as Bit Man neared, the shield came down and his right arm flew out, extending Knight Man's weapon-a brutal chain mace, two feet in diameter, with a spiked outer shell of plasma-deflective metals and a core of heavy lead. The sphere slammed into the side of Bit Man's head and plowed through it, dropping the Robot Master.

"There it is again, folks! The Knight Crush! One hell of a one-hit KO!" The announcer screamed jubilantly. "Fight's over, winner Knight Man! Let's give him a hand!" Knight Man bowed to the crowd as they applauded him, then walked off.

"You have outdone yourself with that one, Trent." Dr. Cossack congratulated him. "I would bet he could even topple Napalm Man."

"Maybe." Dr. Corbun chuckled. "I made sure to make him a good one. Who's next?"

"From our own native Japan, we've got YAMATO MAN making another appearance for you, folks!" The announcer answered as a purple samurai robot carrying a long spear walked up. "His opponent is another fiery foe; come on up, TORCH MAN!" A red Robot with an elongated, pointed cannon on his right arm walked on to face him.

"Yamato Man's the one made by Dr. Gen's sister, right?" Roll wondered.

"Yeah. He's pretty good." Rock nodded. "I'd bet he'll make it to the final eight." Down below, Torch Man leveled his arm and began firing fireballs. Yamato Man jumped, spinning his spear, and from it three arrow-shaped energy blasts flew out, striking the enemy. Not caring. Torch Man remained stationary and continued firing, and Yamato Man took a few hits as he landed and repeated his strike. After he landed a second time, however, he threw his spear forward, and the metal point on its end detached, flying out to smash through the stationary Torch Man's head.

"I was wondering when that guy'd be taken out." Kalinka shook her head.

"The winner, Yamato Man!" The announcer informed them unnecessarily as Yamato Man departed. "All right folks, it's time for our most unusual contestant to show his stuff again! The first design by our sponsor, Mr. X! Come on out, CENTAUR MAN!" From the door, a Robot Master unlike any other before him emerged; where all before had been humanoid, this one rested on FOUR legs, as his name indicated. He was green, with a horn on his head and a confident smile. "And his opponent's another robot with ties to the animals! That's right, it's SHARK MAN!" Unlike Centaur Man, this robot only had a shark hood over his head; his body was humanoid and light blue.

"Wonder if we'll be get to see everything Centaur Man can do this time." Rock muttered. "I still say he's holding something back."

"I hope not… he's tough enough as it is." Dr. Light shook his head. "You'd never be able to prove by him that he's the first one X ever made… he's definitely been paying attention all this time he's been around us."

"GO!" The announcer commanded, and the two Robot Masters complied; as Shark Man hurled a spinning blade, Centaur Man reared up on his hind legs and released a flash of light that froze the enemy Robot Master in his tracks. Easily skipping away from the flying blade, he fired a plasma burst that missed his stationary opponent, or so it seemed. Hitting the wall behind him, the single bullet did not dissipate, but exploded outwards into five shots in a spray, three of which slammed into Shark Man's back and knocked him out of the freeze. Growling, Shark Man dashed forward in an attempt to slice him up close; this proved to be a mistake, as the far more massive Centaur Man ran forward as well and trampled him underfoot.

"Not too bright." Roll commented.

"That's why he lost." Pharaoh Man shrugged. "That is the 'official' purpose of this tournament, even if we know better, is it not? To see which of these designs is superior. And it must be convincing."

"Yeah, we know." Rock shook his head. "Well, that's another one down. Twelve more to go, and then it's only one more day until show time."

-----------------------------

"And then, there were eight." Blues and Pharaoh Man intoned solemnly and simultaneously, causing Kalinka to giggle.

"Hey, I thought Jester Man already got taken out." Roll deadpanned.

"What did I tell you?" Blues appealed to Cossack's daughter. "Nobody around here appreciates my sense of humor. And they wonder why I spend so much time abroad. Geeze." He shook his head in mock sadness. "Oh well, there won't be much time for humor tomorrow anyways." The Lights and Cossacks, instead of leaving the stadium like most of the spectators after the fourth day, were heading downwards into the basement, surveying the preparations for the predicted attack of Dr. Wily. As they passed, UN soldiers started to jump, then recognized them and saluted instead. "How many did Vinkus say the UN was posting here?"

"Two hundred, all heavily armed." Rock shrugged. "They would have put more, but this basement does have limits; they wouldn't be much good if they all suffocated from being packed too tight. That's just the humans, though."

"Yeah, we all saw the security-bots up there." Roll agreed. "Not too shabby. Down here, though, is the real secret weapon." Opening a pair of iron double doors, the group walked into the deepest room in the complex, containing eight stasis pods and extensive monitoring equipment, along with even heavier security then the halls outside. At the center of the room, a supercomputer was being operated by the man behind the Tournament; Mr. X himself, with Darwin Vinkus and Trent Corbun already at his side, watching his work.

"Ah, hello, my friends." The billionaire greeted them, smiling. "I was wondering when you would arrive. I'm just checking up on our little sleeping surprises one last time."

"Gotta hand it to you, this last part was a stroke of genius." Dr. Corbun grinned. "Even if, against all odds, Crazy Al manages to reprogram the eight fighters, you've got exact duplicates ready to hold 'em off. That's one heck of a contingency plan."

"Feels kind of good to have the upper hand for once." Rock agreed. "Let's see Wily beat THIS."

"Nothing personal, but I actually hope we don't." Vinkus murmured, causing the others to snicker.

"Not bad, Dar." Dr. Corbun smirked. "Guess you've finally been hanging around me long enough for something to rub off, huh?"

"Yes, like a plague." The Counciler snorted.

"Be nice, both of you." Dr. Light sighed. "I swear, once me and X aren't around any more to keep the peace between you, you'll end up killing each other within a month."

"Oh, come on, Tom… it's not THAT bad…" Dr. Corbun glanced at the Councilor, who picked up on the line instantly.

"It'll take us at LEAST two months."

"Enough, already." Roll slapped her face. "Save it for when you get a standup act in Vegas. Oh wait, it was totaled even BEFORE Spark Man went there."

"Yeah, stay up to date, sis." Blues chuckled. "Anyways. All eight looking good, X?"

"No problems whatsoever." The billionaire nodded. "They should be ready to go at any time, although chances are we can count on the chaos starting before any of the 'scheduled' fights… Wily wouldn't want them to be heavily damaged already if he intends to steal them." He thought for a moment. "About the only thing that concerns me is the box me and the judges will be sitting in… he might decide to attack us to start things off. He always was one for showy gestures. We'll have some security there, but it may not be enough."

"Me and Rock can sit up there with you tomorrow." Blues offered.

"Thank you, but no… Wily, watching the stadium until the right moment, would see that and it might tip him off. However…" Mr. X glanced back. "If you don't mind, that small blue bird of yours…"

"Oh, Beat?" Rock nodded. "There's an idea… he's a pretty powerful weapon. I don't think anybody will mind if he hides up there to protect you and the judges from any attacks."

"Thank you." Mr. X nodded.

"Well then, it looks like everything is under control here." Dr. Light stretched. "We might as well head back… we'll want to be rested up for tomorrow, Blues and Rock especially. And Pharaoh Man."

"Indeed." The Egyptian-themed Robot Master agreed. "I am glad to have come… not only because I will be able to aid tomorrow, but because I was able to see many interesting examples of variation in my 'species', such as it is."

"Glad to have you along, bud." Blues grinned. "See ya tomorrow, fellas." Turning, the Lights and Cossacks departed, returning to the stadium aboveground. "All right, everybody, let's-"

"Excuse me." A polite voice called out to them from a doorway, and they turned to see a familiar face and form from the fights… the green, four-legged Robot Master could not be mistaken. "You are the Light and Cossack families, correct?"

"Yeah, and you're Centaur Man." Roll nodded. "Pretty good out there so far."

"Thank you, miss Roll." Centaur Man nodded politely. "It is somewhat of a shame that I will not actually be able to test myself against the remaining seven, but such is the way of life sometimes."

"Yeah. So, you already know about what's probably going to happen tomorrow?" Rock realized.

"Yes. My creator has informed me." Centaur Man frowned. "It is him I wish to speak with you of. I am recently activated, and am not as well versed in human nature as experienced Robot Masters such as yourself, but… today, my master has seemed somewhat odd. Different, although I cannot place how."

"Odd? Huh… maybe it's just nerves." Blues guessed. "With what's coming up, he's probably a little uncertain, even with all the planning he's done for this."

"Uncertain… nerves…" Centaur Man slowly nodded. "I suppose. Humans cannot simply rationalize such things into logic as easily as robots can, correct? I had forgotten."

"I am afraid we cannot… but we have other methods to deal with it." Dr. Cossack explained. "Despite his age, X is in fit condition… I am confident he will be fine once this is over."

"Thank you… I confess I was worried. I apologize for taking up your time." Centaur Man turned and walked off. Once he was gone, Kalinka made a face.

"He's even more mechanical than you are, Pharaoh."

"He has not been active for as long as I have… and not nearly as long as the Light family." Pharaoh Man shrugged. "Given enough time, he shall have potential to grow as do all Robot Masters." Rock frowned; something about that sounded familiar, but he couldn't place from where. Shrugging, he forgot about it.

"Yeah, he's a pretty good guy. Most of them are… we were dead on with out guesses, bro. Centaur, Knight, Tomahawk, Yamato, Flame, Wind, Blizzard and Plant."

"Yup." Blues shrugged. "Not too surprising, really… and with that much power, it's even more likely old man Wily won't be able to resist. Well, like I was saying a moment ago, let's all go back and rest up, huh?" Agreeing, the families split up and left the stadium, all of their minds on the event of tomorrow… and hopefully, the end of all their nightmares.


	4. Chapter 3: Death

_**Chapter 3: Death**_

"_Hey." _

"_What… happened? Where am I? Who… wait. You… I know you!"_

"_Yup. I'm surprised you recognize me. As for your questions… think back. It'll come to you. Almost everybody asks them, but it never takes long for them to figure it out."_

"_I… remember. Then I am…"_

"_Yup. Like me. I'm here to pick you up. Yeah, I know, you weren't exactly who I was expecting for my first job either, but it happens sometimes."_

"…_I see. So… where do we go?"_

"_For now? Nowhere. I'll show you the way eventually. But for now… we watch the results from this. At least we've got the best seats in the house."_

-----------------------------

"All right, remember, we'll have to have perfect timing to do this." Rock told his brother as the Light family took their seats in the stadium. "The MOMENT old man Wily shows, we need to teleport our armor onto us, before Mr. X raises the EM barrier to keep him from escaping."

"Yeah, I know." Blues nodded. "You've got it easy, Phare… nobody would think anything's up when you wear your armor to this kind of show."

"That is because I do not regularly remove it." Pharaoh Man shrugged. "I and all my brothers possess the capability to do so, unlike most Robot Masters, but we see no need. Perhaps in years to come that shall change."

"You'd have to lose the stick first." Kalinka joked, and Pharaoh Man blinked.

"Stick?"

"Never mind, Pharaoh, you don't want to know." Dr. Cossack assured him while looking at his daughter disapprovingly. "Behave, Kalinka. And remember-"

"Yeah, get out of the line of fire when the bad guys come." Kalinka nodded. "You told me five hundred times, and that was AFTER the three of us spent hours getting you to let me come today." Her eyes darkened. "There's no way I'm missing seeing that old maniac get what's coming to him at last."

"I shall enjoy that as well." Dr. Cossack nodded grimly.

"I think we all will." Roll shook her head. "And this time, there's no way in hell he's ever getting out of the slammer again. I'll be willing to grant that the higher-ups would be stupid enough to fall for it twice, but not three times."

"And then we can all get over this, and go on with our lives." Rock shook his head. "No more Rebellions, no more fighting… no more deaths."

"Hey look, they're coming out." Blues noted laconically. "Show time should begin any moment." Indeed, the eight surviving Robot Masters were all walking out. Some of them looked peacefully calm… others were glaring threateningly at each other… or at the audience.

"Check out Yamato Man." Roll frowned. "He's giving you the eye, bro… like Tomahawk Man and Knight Man are to each other. Like Napalm Man did a few years back."

"Great. Another combat junkie who wants me to kick his butt. He probably actually intends to beat all the others and climb to the top so he can face me." Rock sighed. "Let's hope whatever action he sees today satisfies him."

"There's the committee… and Mr. X, too." Blues spotted the movement first once again. "Hm… I don't see Beat with them."

"Isn't that the point?" Rock reminded him. "A hidden guard, that won't tip Wily off. He's there… Beat's dependable."

"Excuse me." Mr. X coughed into a microphone, and the crowd fell silent, watching him expectantly, most of them thinking this day would be just like the others. "My friends, I would like to welcome you all here, to this stadium, on the fifth day of the First Annual World Robotics Tournament. I am sure you are all eager to get started with the action… but before our eight champions go about their business, I have a special guest to introduce. Somebody who was once a very close friend of mine… who traveled a long distance to be here today. Somebody who I am sure you all know." His eyebrows arched sardonically above the sunglasses. "Please allow me to introduce… Doctor Albert Wily. Come on up, Al."

"What!" Rock choked, as did most of the spectators.

"DON'T freak out! Watch, and get your armor on!" Blues growled. Rock nodded and summoned it as Mr. X pressed a button on the control panel before him. Two things happened simultaneously; first, an energy shield appeared around the box he shared with the stunned judges; and second, a hatch opened in the front of the box, and something emerged. A human body, impaled through both arms and legs on metal spears that were extending out, and with a plasma burn through the head. The body of Dr. Albert Wily… very, very dead.

"What is… this… supposed to be?" Dr. Light muttered, then yelled. "What kind of sick joke is this, X?"

"This is no joke, friend Thomas." Mr. X smirked. "What you see with your own eyes… this is reality. The joke was the story I told you… a trap for Albert? I, of all people, had no need to trap him… he would do as I wished, and come to me when I asked him… as he has been doing for all these years." He smiled wider at the yells of astonishment this prompted. "Ha ha ha… stupid, stupid people. All of the common people are so incredibly stupid… did you all truly think a man like Wily could have done so much by himself? Did you ever consider how he PAID for it all? How he managed to acquire the materials to build not one, but FIVE Skull Fortresses? Not even the most underhanded black marketeer would deal with the man who brought robotic death upon this globe so often. No, the only way he could do it… was if he had somebody backing him. Somebody with money to spare."

"You buying this?" Blues growled.

"I don't know…" Rock shook his head, then frowned as his armor arrived. He adjusted his helmet, and then nodded, and Mega Man spoke. "He does make a point, but… after so many times…"

"Yeah… he'd just love to pull the same old song and dance again." His brother, Proto Man, agreed. "And yet… like you said, he has a point. Wily was never rich, and those Skull Fortresses were NOT built on the cheap…"

"My mad friend never questioned me… when I came to him and offered to fund his conquests, he gladly accepted. Never once thinking… realizing… that such acceptance made him only the second-in-command of his armies. I was the man at the top… the silent partner. But after five Rebellions… five failures…" Mr. X nodded at the corpse. "I grew tired of my front man botching the job. Five times… and he just kept on losing. And so… I disposed of him." He turned to grin at Mega Man. "What was it you said to him, friend Rock, after you so thoroughly defeated him for the last time at the end of the Fifth? Oh, yes… 'Rebellions are your curse. No one else's. I'll never believe another Rebellion is caused by somebody else… never again. Over my cold, dead body, Wily… or over yours.' Well, Rock… after I heard that, I just couldn't resist obliging you." The old man's grin grew, twisted sickly. "A little gift to my greatest enemy, Rock Light… Mega Man. Wish… granted."

"Uh…" Mega fell forward onto his knees, completely motionless, remembering. He HAD said that… said those words. He had only meant them as a bluff, a threat, but now… A ROBOT MUST NOT HARM, OR THROUGH INACTION CAUSE HARM TO COME, TO A HUMAN BEING. Those words blared across his vision, through his mind, in angry red. FIRST LAW… FIRST LAW… "Did… did I do… did I cause…"

"Snap out of it!" Proto Man yelled. "He's bullshitting you, bro! You heard him… he made the call to do that because Wily screwed up! Because you… oh, hell… no! Dammit, Rock! HE did that, not you! You are NOT responsible! Don't you go into mind freeze now… don't you dare! We NEED you Rock, now more than ever!" Slowly, Mega felt feeling return to his limbs, and the angry letters receded.

"I… I'm okay…"

"Ho ho ho… having trouble there, Rock?" Mr. X gloated, eyes focused on the robot boy's mental struggle. "I'm sorry… did I… say something?" Behind him, unnoticed, somebody else was approaching… Darwin Vinkus. Lunging, he grabbed the older man in a choke hold.

"Forget… somebody else… was in here?" The UN Councilor growled. "Flaw in your plans, my friend… concentrating too much on the robots, and leaving yourself open to a human attack-AH!" He stiffened up as the sound of a gunshot rang through the stadium, and then fell back, a hole in the chest of his suit. Mr. X calmly raised the handgun to his face and blew away the smoke, then glanced at the other judges.

"Actually, I was just waiting for you to do that… after all the time we spent together, friend Darwin, I DO know you rather well. Anybody else wish to try and be a hero… and end up a martyr? Or perhaps not…" He glanced down at Vinkus, who was breathing heavily and twitching. "Bulletproof vest… and plasma-deflective too, it looks like. My, my, you did come prepared today…" He turned away without finishing off the Councilor. "Do not try that again. Next time, it will be your head."

"Damn you…" Roll growled. "What the hell is this? Why are you doing this… why did you help Wily?"

"Because, my dear… I have always believed that overwhelming power is the only way to achieve one's goals." Mr. X smirked. "All of you… you never found it suspicious that a man with a heart as black as mine could change to pure white? You knew my past… selling weapons in the Third World War. And yet… you believed me when I sold YOU my new image. The man who repented his entire life, who threw away his beliefs… and you bought it. So very nice of you. But now, like the weapons I sold at the time, that façade is obsolete… and so I have discarded it, along with my front man, and taken matters into my own hands." He nodded at the eight Robot Masters below, who all pointed their weapons at the crowd. "I could force a fight right now, but that would likely cause some of my servants here to be injured, or even destroyed… even with all the robotic guards here under my control, the UN soldiers will figure out something's wrong soon enough." He chuckled. "Oh, did I forget to mention? These eight are mine now, along with their doubles in the basement… the guards were all very observant for tampering from WILY, but when the esteemed backer of the Tournament wished to run a few 'last minute checkups'… well. Oh, yes, there are only eight in the basement… I have no use for the doubles of the useless trash already eliminated. They were thrown out yesterday." Mega thought back to the basement meeting the previous day, realizing now that there had only been eight sleeping Robot Masters down there.

"Blast it… I should have spotted that!"

"Easy, bro… just keep your eyes on the action. We can do the should have, could have, would have routine later." Roll frowned.

"Unlike Albert, I have little skill in robotics… one Robot Master of my own was all I was willing to risk." Mr. X continued. "For the others, I needed the best that the world's geniuses could build… aside from the top three, none of who would contribute, that is. And so I held this tournament… and it has proven quite successful. I have eight powerful Robot Masters at my command, ready to serve my cause… the Sixth Robot Rebellion. The final one… now that all illusions have been shed, it is time for the one grain of sand in the gears of my plans and myself to settle this once and for all." He pointed at Mega Man, still weak from the First Law's attack. "I have always known that you were the one thing Albert could not defeat… but you have always thought that HE was your true enemy. No more. Now, you know the truth… the reality behind the Robot Rebellions. All for me… to elevate me to the throne of the world." The billionaire spread his hands. "You wish to stop me, no doubt… fair enough. Come, then, as you always have… we shall do as we have always done. Take territories, eight of them, and wait for you to come and challenge us… now, the REAL Robotics Tournament begins. You, the champion of Robot Masters, facing eight challengers to your throne, one by one. Destroy them all, retain your title, and you will learn where the location of the TRUE final fortress is, the one I have been commanding Wily from all this time."

"If he's telling the truth… if he's had his own fortress ever since the First… it's got to be in one hell of a hiding spot." Proto Man frowned.

"A nine-round game of Robot Rebellion… finally, I can oversee it myself, after so much incompetence." Mr. X smirked. "Such fun it shall be. Such madness. Such chaos. Oh, before I leave… there is one more twist to add to this game." He dug into the pocket of his cloak with one hand and pulled out… circuit plates. Nine of them, circular ones, and to Mega Man's eyes… horribly familiar.

"Oh no… Beat…" He whispered.

"I forgot… X wanted him up there!" Proto Man snarled.

"A last request from friend Albert… revenge on the puny blue bird who caused him so much trouble at the end of the Fifth Robot Rebellion." Placing the circuit plates down on his control panel, Mr. X reached down behind it and hauled up the inert Beat by one wing, deactivated. "This gimmick worked so well in the last Rebellion… I just couldn't resist repeating it. But, as I said, it is a bit of a twist…" He dropped Beat and scooped up eight of the circuit plates, leaving one there next to him. "One to go to each contestant in this Rebellion Tournament… my eight servants, and one for yourself, Mega Man. But here is the thing… only the REAL fighters, the ones you see here, will hold the circuit plates. The doubles down below in the basement will not… and both of each Robot Master will be waiting for you in their territories. Oh, don't worry, this isn't a cheap trick to make them double-team you… they will be in separate locations, and linked so that when you defeat one, the other will shut down. At least… if you defeat the true one. But if you destroy the double, the real challenger will remain active… and if he detects you leaving the area without destroying him as well, he will smash the circuit plate he holds. You will have to choose the correct one, or suffer a penalty… either the loss of a plate, or fighting a second duel immediately without repairs. The choice will be yours, but no matter how lucky you are, you will have to face it sooner or later." Mr. X thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I believe that is all that needs to be said… well then, we shall depart to be about our business. You'll know where my servants are soon enough, I'm sure… until then, good luck!" He walked over to the edge of the box and reached down, grabbing Wily's lifeless head. "And now for real… let the World Robotics Tournament BEGIN! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" As the shield barrier around him dropped, he vanished in a teleporter beam along with the mangled corpse, and his Robot Masters did as well, followed by all of the robot guards. Only the spectators remained, staring up at the frozen UN council judges left behind in the box, almost accusingly… as if blaming them for what had occurred there that day.

-----------------------------

"What a mess." Proto Man shook his head, staring out over the coliseum, now empty of all civilians. As soon as they had been freed, the UN judges had called for soldiers who had cleared all the spectators out and began sweeping the now-useless coliseum for anything left behind that could be of use. So far, they were coming up with squat; every single one of the robots had vanished, along with any trace of Mr. X's control. Even the computer banks had been returned to a fresh state. With its purpose served, the arena was now nothing more than an empty shell… dead and discarded. Looking over it with his family and the Cossacks, the red-and-grey-armored Robot Master sighed disgustedly. "At least they stopped questioning us already. Sheesh. Like we'd actually be able to tell them anything."

"Yeah." Mega Man agreed quietly. "Really, at this point, it doesn't matter if it's a lie or not… not until the end. Right now… all we know is that it happened again. Yet again, even we… we, who were supposed to be the only defense against these Rebellions… were taken completely off guard. The enemy got us again… and there shall be another Rebellion. We… I… I failed at stopping it. All I can do is bring it to an end as quickly as possible."

"Enough, bro." Roll frowned. "Beating yourself up over it won't help one bit. What's done is done; focus on the future. Like you said, ending it as soon as possible. What are our plans?"

"The usual, I guess." Mega shrugged. "Go back home, wait until he makes his move and grabs eight places… then choose one to move on, and proceed from there. Not much else we CAN do, really."

"I'll have to disagree with you on that, son of mine." Dr. Light shook his head. "There is something we… me and Sergei at least… CAN do. Two things, actually. We can start rebuilding Beat's circuit plates… and we can attempt to upgrade Rush once again."

"Hey, that's right…" Kalinka remembered. "Last time with Beat, you said you couldn't recreate the plates by yourself, dad… but with Dr. Light here now…"

"Indeed." Dr. Cossack agreed. "We can remake them, so that you shall not have to play that silly game of Mr. X's entirely. Unfortunately, the plates ARE quite difficult to make, so it will take time… but if you do succeed in bringing some back, then Beat will be back in action soon enough."

"That's great…" Mega frowned. "But there's one thing Mr. X didn't mention. If I choose the 'wrong one' and fight the copy, then yeah, I can leave without absolutely needing the circuit plate… but that'll still leave the real guy there. He said the copies would shut down if I beat the real one, but not vice versa… he'll still be on the loose."

"Forgetting somebody?" Proto Man smirked. "Leave that to me, bro… since he's just as fixated on you as Wily was, the bad guys will probably torch the plates if they see me coming at them, but I can remove them from the picture at least."

"Thanks, bro." Mega nodded. "That's another one I… hey, wait." He blinked. "Dad… you said you're upgrading Rush again?"

"Correct." Dr. Light nodded. "Me and Sergei have been discussing this for some time… in the unfortunate event of a sixth Rebellion, we decided that it would be far too large a risk to rely on getting lucky and obtaining Energen Crystals for his Jet and Marine forms once again… especially since in the Fifth, there was no black Energen Crystal for the Marine mode to be found."

"So we have some ideas as to new forms for Rush… abilities that will not require Energen Crystals to power." Dr. Cossack explained. "Like the circuit plates, they will take time to produce, however… but we shall get it done, do not worry."

"Man… with both of those on the plate, you two will be working in severe overtime." Roll shook her head. "I'll help out as much as I can as lab assistant, but it'll still be a major haul."

"Would… another set of hands help at all?" Kalinka asked, a little hesitantly. "I don't know anything about robotics like any of you, but if there's anything… I want to help in any way I can."

"Kalinka…" Dr. Cossack murmured.

"We would be happy to have you aid us, Kalinka." Dr. Light smiled. "Somebody else to help will reduce the time significantly…" He glanced at Dr. Cossack. "And before you say no, Sergei, keep in mind that considering what happened last time, the UN as well as our local government will both likely be putting heavy guard around our house. The lab will be untouchable… she won't be in any danger."

"…All right." Dr. Cossack smiled. "Thank you, Kalinka."

"Yeah…" Proto Man grinned at her. "Just a warning… everybody in this family is crazy." He dodged Roll's fist. "Case in point."

"I'll manage." Kalinka smiled back. "Whatever I can do to help, Blues."

"Well, we might as well get out of here." Mega Man sighed, looking around the arena one more time. "There's nothing left for us in this place." The others nodded, and they all turned towards the exit, doing their best to ignore the UN troops running around everywhere. Fortunately, they were instantly recognizable and thus managed to get past them all, even the ones around the proximity, without any trouble. As they headed towards the parking lot, Pharaoh Man coughed.

"Excuse me… Dr. Corbun appears to be waiting for us." He pointed to the only car still in the lot that wasn't a military van aside from Dr. Light's battered green pickup and Dr. Cossack's rental. As they approached, they did indeed see Dr. Corbun leaning against the sport car's side, face haggard.

"Hey, fellas." He greeted them. "Was wondering when you would come on out here… I just wanted to let you know a couple things. First off, Darwin's going to be okay… that bullet only bruised him, thanks to the vest he had on. He'll be out of the hospital later today."

"Good." Dr. Light sighed. "I will confess I was worried, even with his safeguard… he's not getting any younger than the rest of us."

"Yes…" Dr. Corbun sighed. "The other thing… isn't quite so good. I… was preparing for this. Well, something almost like this, anyways… don't get me wrong, I was hoping for the trap to work, but in case it didn't… well, I was working on something to help you out, Rock." Dr. Light and Dr. Cossack glanced at each other.

"We had similar plans in motion." The Russian robotocist admitted. "It is nothing to be ashamed of…"

"Yes, well… the thing is, I actually had a working prototype finished." Dr. Corbun explained. "But I told X and Vinkus about it one night over poker… and then yesterday, X asked if he could take a look at it. I said yes, and… he still has it."

"Don't blame yourself." Roll told him quickly. "None of us saw this coming… none of us COULD."

"Yeah." Mega Man agreed. "Thank you… what was it?"

"An Energy Balancer." Dr. Corbun explained. "It works with the Variable Weapons System… keeps a constant reading on your Master Weapons energy, and when you grab a refill for weapons energy, it allocates it among them based on which ones are closest to empty."

"Well, now… that would be very useful." Proto Man whistled, then smiled. "But none of them have a Variable Weapons System to our knowledge, right?" Dr. Corbun shook his head.

"Well, no."

"Then he won't have any use for it himself… but he's too canny to just destroy it out of spite." Proto Man guessed. "He'll hang onto it… and I'll be able to find out where. I'll get it back, doc, don't you worry… that kind of thing is my specialty."

"Yeah, he'll manage." Mega Man assured the British robotocist. "Thanks, doc."

"Yes, well… anything I can do." Dr. Corbun smiled wearily, then let it drop. "Well, good luck to you… I'm off, then."

"Get some sleep, Trent." Dr. Light told him quietly. "I'm sorry about what happened with X too, but we can't change that now… we can only move on."

"I suppose so." Dr. Corbun got into his car. "Sleep, huh… I figure so. Might need some bourbon to help me with it, but I'll manage… see you around, fellas." He drove away, heading back to his hotel.

"I didn't like the sound of that." Roll shook her head. "Think he'll be okay?"

"He's just… not liking this. A lot." Proto Man explained. "I'm surprised dad's holding up this well, and Vinkus probably will probably be pretty depressed too."

"X was a good friend of all of us… or so it seemed." Dr. Light sighed. "Trent will be fine… he's tough. He just needs time. Unfortunately, that is something we ourselves do not have… let's get back home and get to work."

"Yeah." Mega Man nodded grimly. "He said this was the last Rebellion… the last time. That's the one thing he was right about. Let's make it happen."


	5. Chapter 4: Face Plant

**_Chapter 4: Face Plant_**

"_I am a bit of an odd one, aren't I? Most Reploids are either straight humanoid or animal-based… you don't see many plants like me. Just don't let my strangeness fool you into thinking I'm weak… far too often, the prettiest flower holds the deadliest poison." -Einharjar newcomer Noble Mandrago, introducing herself to her teammates_

"Excuse me, master… you wished to see me?" Centaur Man inquired politely as he walked into the inner sanctum of the fortress they had relocated to. Sitting behind a huge wooden desk, Mr. X glanced up at him from the screens embedded in its surface.

"Ah, Centaur Man. Come in." He smiled. "I'd say that our little show went fairly well, wouldn't you?"

"It seemed that way, from my standpoint." Centaur Man agreed solemnly. "Of course, I did not have quite as good a view of the festivities as yourself, master. But I assume our enemies took it quite badly."

"Indeed they did… poor, poor Light clan, hoping so much that a mousetrap would work and that they'd never have to fight again." Mr. X scoffed. "With such pathetic groveling at fate's boots, they were doomed to have their prayers dashed from the very beginning. Although really, this has been in the cards ever since dear, departed Albert first bungled the only thing he was good at. They just didn't know it."

"That would have made it slightly more difficult to pull off, I expect." Centaur Man stated in a deadpan. Mr. X smirked.

"I knew I made a good call programming you with a sense of humor. At any rate, I do believe we have let the public stew in their fear for just about the right length of time." He glanced down at the screen. "That's why we've been waiting a few hours, you know… want to give them some of the terror of uncertainty."

"I was wondering as to that." Centaur Man admitted. "And yet, we must not wait too long, or else the UN may attempt to predict where we will go and reinforce nearby locations."

"Exactly. Which is why it's time we acted." Mr. X stood up. "Let's go join the other children, Centaur Man, and give them the good news."

"They're this way, master." Centaur Man led the ancient billionaire slowly down several halls. "By the way, thank you for being considerate enough to have the staircases in this fortress removed, master. I would have been unable to navigate them at all with my design." He glanced down at his four hooved legs, and Mr. X chuckled.

"It was not only for your sake, Centaur Man, although that was a part of it. It was for mine as well… a staircase is not for the man with aged, weakened legs who must use a cane to walk, even if he will be the ruler of the world."

"So I see… I should have realized this myself." Centaur Man walked up to a door and opened it. "Here we are-what is this? What is going on here!" Two of the other Robot Masters were standing only inches apart, weapons and voices raised.

"Come on then, you lame limey! I'll part that dumb helmet of yours straight down the middle!" Tomahawk Man, pride of US Robotics, yelled.

"Were we not enforced as allies, I would gladly take up your gauntlet and destroy you with it!" Knight Man, Dr. Corbun's latest creation, answered just as loudly.

"Come on, guys, settle down." A third Robot Master, the Arabian Flame Man, was pleading. The other four-Yamato, Wind, Plant and Blizzard Man-were all watching without a word. "We're all friends here. Just stay calm, think of our mission."

"I'll kill you!" Tomahawk Man shrieked, ignoring him.

"Don't tempt me!" Knight Man bellowed.

"ENOUGH!" Actually neighing in anger, Centaur Man reared up on his hind legs and activated the Centaur Flash, slowing all the Robot Masters present. As soon as it went off, he dashed forward and slammed in between them, forcing both back. "Get them apart." Nodding, the other four Robot Masters grabbed Tomahawk Man and Knight Man and dragged them to opposite ends of the room. Flame Man remained where he was, watching them go and shaking his head.

"Well, well. It seems you're getting restless… impatient. A little too much so… fighting each other? My, my." Mr. X spoke softly, but several of the Robot Masters shuddered at the implications.

"You two just stay put." Centaur Man looked around at all of them, then nodded at one. "Blizzard Man. Tell me what happened here."

"Tomahawk Man attempted to provoke Knight Man." The massive white sphere of a Robot Master replied solemnly. "At first there was no real reaction, but eventually his persistence began to irritate Knight Man. No blows were actually exchanged, but had you and the master not joined us now…"

"Yeah." Centaur Man shook his head in disgust. "Tomahawk Man, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I just want to fight him is all." Tomahawk Man growled. "I want to see what he's got. Wanted to in the tournament, still do now. So what?"

"Oh, come on." Plant Man snorted. "You're on an ego trip, that's what. We've got a job to do, and you're not gonna get it done by playing big shot."

"You want to go at it too, flower?" Tomahawk Man demanded.

"Just stop right now." Plant Man sighed theatrically. "And here I thought you managed to get all of that out of his system, boss…" He glanced at Mr. X, who simply shrugged.

"Perhaps I was a bit negligent."

"Hey, Plant… you criticizing the master?" Centaur Man growled. Plant Man started to reply, then blinked. Not just Centaur Man, but all of the other Robot Masters were all gazing at him with expressions ranging from warning to open hostility. The flower-headed Robot Master quickly revised his response.

"Uh, no… not at all. Just… wondering idly, is all. Forget it."

"Be all too glad to." Centaur Man growled, then turned back to Tomahawk Man. "As for you. Behave, got it? No more of this. Save all that aggression for Mega Man… and that brother of his too, if he shows."

"Yeah, yeah." Tomahawk Man muttered sullenly.

"Don't think I've forgotten you either, Knight Man." Centaur Man glanced at the black-armored Robot Master. "Even if you weren't the instigator, keep in mind I do NOT want this happening again, got it?"

"I am shamed by my actions… they shall not be repeated." Knight Man vowed.

"Well now, if all of that's taken care of." Mr. X stepped forward. "I do believe I have some good news that will hopefully cheer all of you up."  
"Oh?" Wind Man's eyes brightened. "Is it… time for us to go on out?"

"Indeed it is." Mr. X confirmed. "The robot armies are all prepared and ready for you to lead them into our sixth, final and most glorious Robot Rebellion of all. With the dead weight of Albert Wily out of the way, the only obstacle that remains is our adversaries… Mega Man and his family. Prepare for the Blue Bomber's coming, for make no mistake, he WILL come to face you."

"Oh, YES." Yamato Man agreed fervently. "I can hardly wait to see what he can do with my own eyes!"

"Then do your job well." Centaur Man advised. "If there's nothing more that needs to be said…?" He glanced at the seven others, none of which spoke. "All right then. Everybody got your circuit plates?" Seven nods. "Your duplicates are all waiting with your armies?" More nods. "Then we've got everything we need. Go join them, and let's move out!"  
"Uh… actually, there is one thing." Wind Man spoke again. "I was never told where we were supposed to go, exactly…"

"Me neither." Flame Man realized.

"Ha, you clowns." Plant Man chortled. "I know exactly where we're all going now already."

"Oh, do you, Plant Man?" Mr. X inquired mildly. "That's quite interesting… especially in note of the fact that I have not told any of you, or any robot at all for that matter, where your destinations are. How did you find out?"

"I… well…" Plant Man stammered. "You see…"

"Bah, never mind, it is not important." Mr. X shook his head. "I shall tell all of you that information now anyways. Listen carefully…"

----------------------------

"Any news yet, you two?" Roll called out from the lab on the side of the Light house into the living room, where Mega Man and Proto Man were watching the news.

"Nada." The elder son of Light reported. "Just the normal hysteria. No actual news yet."

"Darn. Well, we'll keep working." Roll ducked back into the lab, where the two doctors were examining Beat's inert body while Kalinka watched.

"Good… it looks like there's no damage to him other than the missing control plates." Dr. Light sighed. "I was worried, but X did the dirty work professionally, looks like."

"Well, he did build Centaur Man himself, so it seems he watched us enough to know how… and possibly received some lessons from Wily himself. Or alternatively, it COULD be Wily, in which case he would definitely have the skill. I can't be sure." Dr. Cossack shook his head. "Regardless, I am glad Beat is unhurt aside from the plates… we spent a great amount of effort building him."

"So, what's first?" Kalinka wondered. "Trying to make new plates, or the new additions for Rush?"

"Let's try to get at least one of Rush's additions done as soon as possible." Dr. Light decided. "Then we'll divide our time between the two of them."

"Yo!" Proto Man called. "Here it is!" The four of them all ran for the door. Ten seconds and one massive pile-up later, they filed through it in a line and walked over to join the brothers in front of the television.

"So far, we've gotten to Plant Man in a treeborg area of the Brazilian Jungles, and Blizzard Man up in the Swiss Alps… more isolated than usual." Mega Man noted. "Oh, there's Tomahawk Man."

"Disney World? He's in the ruins of DISNEY WORLD?" Roll shook her head disbelievingly. "That's one place I never would have expected."

"Well, the place DID get blown sky high in the Third World War." Dr. Light shrugged. "It's no worse than when Spark Man set up shop in Vegas during the Third, really."

"Yeah, I know, but still. Disney World." Roll made a rude noise. "It's just… off, I guess. Wait, what was the next one? I missed it."

"Wind Man, on an old Air Canada airport in the mountains… looks like he and Blizzard traded off on hitting home countries." Proto Man reported grimly. "The staff there are probably the first human casualties, although the other three won't hesitate to kill any passersby, I'm sure. This isn't going to be another bloodless Rebellion."

"I did not expect it to be… I was hard-pressed to keep my own that way." Dr. Cossack sighed.

"Hmm… Yamato Man's sticking to his-our-own country. Not too surprising." Mega Man noted. "Yukishiro Hot Springs, a resort out in the countryside… more certain deaths. Damn. Next… well, at least Flame Man's target was abandoned. An old oil drilling facility in the Middle East."

"Around the end of the last century, and the beginning of the next, we were dangerously dependant on the stuff, or so my parents told me." Dr. Light remembered. "Quite a lot of tension went on over it."

"Knight Man… another abandoned one. An Abbey named Cluny in Britain… strange, but I suppose it's as close to a castle as the knight can get." Dr. Cossack shrugged. "Who knows."

"That leaves Centaur Man… hm, looks like he's digging in on the coast of Greece." Proto Man scratched his head. "Didn't figure him for the beach bum type… but then there is no water guy this time around really, so whatever. That's all eight, anyways… obviously, we probably won't find out where the big man himself is hiding out until after they're all trashed."

"As usual." Dr. Light agreed. "Hmm. With all eight locations now revealed, the UN will likely be calling us up soon in order to attempt commanding and directing your-our counter efforts."

"Yeah, probably." Mega agreed. "That's the kind of thing they like doing in these situations."

"Nosy old farts." Kalinka made a face. "So, are you just going to put up with it, or what?"

"Well…" Mega smiled wickedly. "Think you could accidentally break our phone again, Blues?"

"On it." The eldest son of Light saluted.

"Very funny, but it wouldn't work." Roll shook her head. "We used that one on Viinkus a few too many times at the end of the Third. It'll just make them angry at us… not what we want right now."

"Yeah, you've got a point." Mega Man admitted. "Oh well. I'll just have to pick one and take off before they call at all, then."

"Which means WE'LL have to deal with them when they ring us up." Roll smirked. "Thanks, bro."

"No charge." Mega chuckled, then winced as she bonked him on the head. "Hey, it won't be that bad. Just tell them the truth… that I'm going with what worked for the first four Rebellions, and got the job done right. Really, the only time I actually put myself under their control was the Fifth… it's not what I usually do at all. I've got no intention of making a habit of it." He paused. "You don't necessarily have to tell them that part, by the way."

"Gee, I wonder why." Proto Man muttered. "I'll be off as well… this was all I was waiting on before starting my own angle on this. Where you headed first, bro?"

"Plant Man." Mega decided firmly. "Unless there was something he didn't show at all in the Rebellion, he's just a souped-up version of guys I've already fought… nothing I don't already know. Take out the weakest link first."

"Good call." Dr. Cossack nodded.

"We'll keep working here… I'm afraid Rush will be out of commission for a bit." Dr. Light apologized. "We'll try to get both him and Beat back into prime working condition as soon as possible."

"Got it… and I'll bring back as many of those Plates as I can." Mega Man promised. "Give Vinkus my regards if he's back on the UN Council by the time they call… I'll see you all when I get back with some flowers tonight." Waving, he vanished in a beam of light, teleporting away to Plant Man's encampment in Brazil. Proto Man watched him go, then nodded.

"That's my cue to head off too. Good luck, all of you… and hey, thanks for volunteering to help out, Kalinka." He smiled. "I'll see you… well, whenever, I guess. Sometime. You know the drill… good luck." In a streak of red, he was gone as well. Once again… the Light brothers had gone off to war.

----------------------------

"All right, this looks like it's the right general area…" Mega Man frowned, looking around.

"WELCOME!" A familiar voice yelled, and the Blue Bomber's eyes snapped up to see a camera and speaker mounted on a flying robot. "Here he is, folks… our champion has arrived to face the first of his eight challengers! The Flower Fancier, Plant Man, awaits your arrival… take a look at those stats, people! Do try not to disappoint, Mega Man!" Growling, Mega blew it away.

"What does Mr. X think he's doing… oh well, not like I really care. All I'm here for is taking out the bad guy." Shaking his head, Mega headed forward. Several more of the flying robots, looking like blue beetles, dropped down out of the foliage and were destroyed easily. "Sets up fast, this one… but if that's all he's got, this shouldn't be too hard-OW!" A beige frog-bot that had been hiding in the thick underbrush had jumped him and slammed into him violently. Growling, the Blue Bomber destroyed it, then checked his energy level. "Down 5… not too bad." Several more frog-bots were spotted and destroyed as he walked inside a building. "Wonder what this was originally used for-oh boy." Climbing a ladder had brought him face-to-face with a huge, squat robot with thick armor and massive weights for feet. "A giant stomper… okay, he's definitely ready for me." To make things worse, the room they were in was small and confined, with little room to dodge. Quickly analyzing the situation, Mega realized that his chances of toppling the behemoth without taking significant damage were slim. "I'll just get around him and move on…" He stared as a jetpack on the robot's back kicked into life and blasted it forward and up, above him. "THAT's new! Yikes!" Launching himself forward in a slide move barely got him away from the massive weight descending on him. Before it could turn around, he was up the next ladder and out of the room. "Phew… improving on old designs, even. I'll have to be careful."

Fortunately, the top floor of the building was less heavily guarded; a few floor-mounted cannons and a different kind of flying robot were nothing. Wasting them, Mega dropped down a floor to find a more pleasant surprise; the Light family's suitcase-robot, Eddie. "Hey, Ed! Whatcha got for me?" Ever since the Fourth, Eddie had insisted on helping his friend out; by teleporting into enemy areas and delivering supplies. Beeping, he flipped his lid and tossed out a capsule of energy that would refill what Mega had lost to the frog. "Awesome. Thanks!" With another beep, Eddie teleported away, and the Blue Bomber dropped down to the bottom. Strangely, the room he was in was completely dark. "Oh, I don't like this…" A pair of eyes lit up and glared angrily at him for a moment, and then the lights turned on, revealing a monstrosity that could only be described as some sort of gorilla tank. A massive monkey's upper-body combined with heavy treads at the waist; the entire thing was even more heavily-armored than the big stomper, especially the massive fists. "Crud. Looks kind of like Guts Man." Growling, the gorilla tank began slowly moving towards him. In the room, it blocked the way forward completely, and his back was to a wall… not a good combination of factors. "Find a weak point… those eyes look vulnerable." Firing, Mega nodded as the plasma shots sunk into the optics. Growling, the gorilla tank fired the massive fist off on a rocket in its wrist. The Blue Bomber dodged it, holding his fire for a moment. "Heavily armed, huh… try this, then!" A massive charged shot of plasma blasted out from his arm and smashed into the face. Angrier than ever, the gorilla opened its lantern jaw and fired a plasma cannon in there, which the Blue Bomber dodged as well. "Heh… strong but slow, are you…" He fired again, but the robotic monster still kept coming, and now it was close enough to be able to hit him with the massive fist. Wincing, Mega was slammed back against the wall. "Ouch…" Fortunately, a third charged shot finally tore through the eyes entirely and brought the gorilla tank to a halt.

"Yeesh… that one hurt. I'll have to be more careful." Shaking his head, Mega Man watched the wall behind the tank rise up, revealing the way onward through the jungle. Beyond it, beds of metal springs had been embedded in the ground in strategic locations, forcing him to cross them at an unwieldy, bouncy pace. Beyond them, another gorilla tank came charging out of the foliage; fortunately, it was much easier to dispose of out in the open. Beyond there, he saw the murky brown water of a wide river, and winced. "No telling what's hiding in there… eh?" A series of small metal platforms stretched across the expanse, and Mega smiled, until he saw the metal springs covering them. "Oh, boy… this'll be fun. My kingdom for the Rush Jet." Sighing, he set off across. "Let me guess… there'll be robotic fish jumping out… yup." He blew away the metal piranha that leapt at him. "Sometimes I wish they'd get some originality… eh?" A glow caught his eyes, and he looked up to see a small capsule of energy… resting inside a spreading purple flower in the branches of the trees above him. "Okay, I'll concede the point… but I have to take points away for being stupid enough to just leave those there for me. I'd think it was a trap, but those flowers aren't mechanical." The springs gave him enough lift to grab the fruit-like capsules as he bounced across the river, and when he reached the other side, he was back to full energy. Two more buildings were waiting for him, each with a familiar metal shutter for an entrance. "Here's Plant Man, then… question is, which one is the 'real one' in?" Looking back and forth, Mega shrugged and chose the one on the left. Walking inside brought him to a single square room with no roof, allowing the foliage to hang down, and no floor either. "All right, where are you?"

"Right here…" The lights in the room flashed on and off dramatically as the enemy Robot Master dropped down from the foliage and posed.

"And he's arrived, folks!" Mr. X's voice announced. "Round 1 of out World Robotics Tournament, the Blue Bomber Vs. the Flower Fancier! Mega Man, Plant Man, BEGIN!"

"Shut up, already!" Mega Man growled, firing a stream of uncharged shots. Smirking, Plant Man brought up his force field and deflected them.

"Forget my power already? How careless of you!" He jumped into the air towards Mega Man, using the sphere of his force field in attempt to crush him; a maneuver that failed when the hero slid out and away.

"Why do you think I didn't bother charging, doofus? I knew you'd do that." Mega snorted.

"Is that so… how about this, then?" Plant Man hurled the force field outward and away from him. Sighing, Mega Man hurdled it effortlessly.

"Seen it, fool." Now he unleashes a charged shot, and Plant Man took it right in the face. Grunting, the flowery Robot Master jumped across the room away from his enemy, only to land on a spray of rapid-fire plasma bullets and take several hits before bringing his force field back up. Snarling, he jumped again, and Mega Man watched him expectantly. As he fell down, however, Plant Man smiled and hurled the force field behind him and downward. Sliding away from the enemy, Mega flew right into the attack and was smashed flat.

"Ha-ha! Haven't seen it all after all, huh?" Plant Man laughed. Grunting, Mega Man picked himself back up.

"One tricky move. That's not enough… especially since I'll be watching for it next time."

"Grr…" Plant Man used his force field again and jumped at him once more, this time keeping it up until he landed. Mega dodged both that and the subsequent toss effortlessly, inflicting even more damage on Plant Man. On the next attempt, Plant Man tossed the shield in midair again, but this time Mega Man saw it coming and slid in a different direction before turning and firing one more charged shot that finally brought the flowery foe to his knees.

"Damn it…" Plant Man sputtered, bringing up his force field one more time. "Damn YOU…"

"Can't move any more, can you?" Mega guessed. "All you can do is sit there. Face it… you've lost. Stop prolonging the inevitable."

"I… suppose you're right…" Plant Man sighed. Opening his hand, he revealed the circuit plate held in it. "You guessed right, by the way… I'm the real deal." He placed it on the ground, and Mega glanced down at it… and in that moment, Plant Man hurled the last force field at him. "Ha-HA! Take that, you… oh, no…" His eyes stared up at the Blue Bomber, hurdling the field and firing down… and then everything was white, and before him was a robot in a black cloak with a psychotic grin.

"_Sorry, amigo. You've been plucked."_


	6. Chapter 5: Snowball Fight

**_Chapter 5: Snowball Fight_**

"_Hrm… think you have a speed advantage on me, do you? You've never been caught in an avalanche, obviously. In just one moment, the snow can rush forward and crush you without warning. Allow me to demonstrate." -Dopplertown resident Blizzard Buffalo, during his fight with Mega Man X_

"Variable weapons system works as well as ever." Mega Man noted as the purple energy globe of the Plant Barrier formed around him in a vague flower pattern. "Let's just hope this force field is as strong as the previous ones, at least."

"Just don't bump into anything." Roll warned him. "You dent the furniture, I dent your skull. And if you're going to practice throwing that thing, go outside to do it."

"Actually, I don't think I can throw this one at all." Mega Man realized, making a face. "Don't see why not… Plant Man himself could. Lousy defective piece of junk weapons chip."

"Look at it this way." His sister suggested. "At least it's not the Top Spin, right?" The Blue Bomber considered that, then nodded empathetically.

"You make a good point, sis. A VERY good point. Anything's better than the Top Spin again. Up to, and including, a violent self-destruct device."

"Don't give Mr. X ideas." Roll joked. "Anyways, at least one of them is down. That's what's really important. With luck, the next one will have a better weapon for you."

"It'd be hard to do any worse, aforementioned Top Spin aside, and none of those guys looked horribly defective to me, so that's not too likely." Mega looked around. "Where's dad, by the way?"   
"Sleeping." Roll shrugged, and the Blue Bomber frowned.

"Still? It's noon!"

"He and Doc Cossack were up until 4 AM." Roll explained. "Pharaoh Man had to drive them back to the hotel room. Kalinka was not amused."

"I'll bet. Sheesh, they're really going crazy with Rush and Beat this time." Mega shook his head. "Can't be healthy for them… I'll have to ask them to tone it down before they kill themselves. I'm all for more help, but there ARE such things as reasonable limits." His sister smiled.

"Oh, I think they'll calm down a bit on that now. Last night was just a special case."  
"Oh?" Mega raised an eyebrow, now curious. "Curious in a good way, or curious like the time Rush tried to bury a pizza in the backyard?"

"The former, although it does have to do with Rush." Roll explained, smile growing. "You see, they realized that if they really ground it out, one of the two new planned forms for Rush could be completed using existing technology much quicker than they had expected." It took a moment for that to sink in.

"Wait. You're telling me they did all that… in order to get one of Rush's new forms ready today? As in, NOW? It's done?"

"Bingo." His sister confirmed. "You'll need to test it, of course, but as far as they could tell it's fully ready to go."

"Now THAT is a much better surprise than the Plant Shield." Mega looked around. "Now I just need Rush himself. Where is he…" Hearing a frenzied barking, he looked out the window to see the robotic mutt in question tearing down the street with a hubcap in his mouth and a broom-wielding neighbor in hot pursuit.

"Oy." Roll slapped her forehead. "We have GOT to get him to stop chewing those." One defusing of the situation and frantic apology later, the siblings dragged Rush up to the lab. "Right then, now that THAT's taken care of… the new mode is called 'Jet Armor.' Go ahead and command him."

"Right." The Blue Bomber coughed. "Ahem… Rush, Jet Armor mode!" Barking, the red robot jumped into the air towards him and shrank in on himself, folding and compacting bizarrely into what looked like a chest plate with a large box on one side. Dividing down the middle to fit around Mega and then snapping in place, the armor fit snugly on him and caused the rest of his normal suit to turn the same red as Rush. "…Okay. This is definitely something new, I'll give them that. But what exactly does it… eh?" A new energy bar had popped up in the corner of his eye, next to his life energy, where Master Weapons energy bars would usually appear. "Hm…" He sent the command to activate whatever it did, and a moment later, the floor fell out from beneath him… or more accurately, HE flew away from IT, up towards the ceiling. "WHOA!" After a moment of initial confusion, Mega realized the source of the propulsion came from the box on his back; twisting his head around, he saw that twin jets had popped out of the bottom of it. A moment later, they retracted, and he fell flat on his face in front of Roll, who clapped slowly.

"Well, it's good to see that it works." She noted. "In case you hadn't figured it out, it's a jetpack."  
"Yeah, so I gathered." Mega watched as the energy meter, which had emptied itself, recharged to full in only a few seconds. "So what's with the timer?"

"Something the guys figured… instead of giving it an energy supply of its own, they tied it to your internal supply." Roll explained. "The catch to that is unless you want it to drain your operations energy, it can only go for about three seconds at a time… good news is it recharges almost as fast. So be careful with it." She looked upstairs. "Enjoy it; it'll be a while before you get the other. Me and Kalinka agree that we're going to keep the old men on an eight-hour minimum, and sticking to the circuit plates, for the next few days."

"Can't say I disagree. Dad's not young enough to pull that kind of thing any more, and Doc Cossack isn't made of titanium either." Mega Man disengaged the jetpack. "Did the UN call, by the way?"

"Yeah… it was pretty much like you predicted. They were irritated as hell, but they gave in eventually. Still, you'll probably want to continue to try to avoid them." Roll frowned. "Only thing that troubles me is that Vinkus wasn't there… I thought Doc Corbun said he'd be out of the hospital by now."

"He did." Mega frowned as well. "That is worrisome… maybe you could look into that?"

"On it." Roll agreed. "I've got to do something until work time today, after all, and it looks like it'll be a few more hours."

"Right. Now then, in the spirit of your suggestion, I'll be heading right off to Blizzard Man's." Mega decided. "Wish me luck." Concentrating on the warp coordinates, he departed.

----------------------------

"Attention, viewers! I would to announce that the second round of the World Robotics Tournament has begun! Please direct your attention to Mega Man, our Champion, who's managed to fend off one of the challengers to his throne already! Now, he's here to see if the Master of Snow can take his title! Let's watch him and find out, everybody!" Mr. X's voice blared obnoxiously from the hovering camera. Mega Man started to raise his Buster, then shook his head.

"He'd just use another. Keep your mind on what's important… ignore the clowning around." He glanced at the robotic seal waiting for him a few feet ahead in the snow. "That qualifies." Not waiting for him to approach, the seal pointed its nose up in the air and materialized a globe of plasma on top of it, which it threw at the hero. Mega hurdled it easily and obliterated the foe. "That's an interesting design… not too effective, though, unless…" He groaned at what he saw ahead, on top of a wall of ice. "There's two of them." He dodged the first and second shots from the seal pair, but the third and last one clipped him. Growling, he pressed on. The entrance to a fortress that looked like it had once been a ranger station loomed ahead of him, and his face darkened as he thought of what the fate of its inhabitants had likely been… the same fate that befell anybody who happened to be in the area when the robot armies moved in, never having any chance to escape. The massacre of Sennet Robotics workers in the Third had been the worst example, but even on a lesser scale, the deaths of innocents caught in the Rebellions never failed to enrage the Blue Bomber. Wiping out the sentry robots, he stalked into the building.

With no humans left there, the robots had left all windows and doors open and turned the heaters off, exposing the station's interior to the elements. The walls, floors and even the ceiling were all frosted over. Taking full advantage of this, robots that looked more like hockey pucks than anything else slid towards Mega Man; unfortunately for them, their light weight made them easily destroyed. Shield-masked fliers were more of a problem on the slippery ice; twice before being destroyed they slammed into Mega as he struggled to remain upright and in control. A huge green squid-bot the size of a truck on the next floor down didn't help much either, spewing ice blocks at high speed and launching homing missiles.

"This can't go on." Mega realized, looking at his 65 operations energy after squashing the squid. "It's been too long since I fought on a cold front. Time to try out my new upgrade…" He activated a signal, and Rush teleported in. Like Eddie, once he had walked inside the teleport barrier that surrounded enemy encampments he could move directly to Mega's current location. "Let's go, Rush. Jet Armor!" Barking enthusiastically, the red robot dog transformed into the jetpack suit and snapped on. Dropping down into the station's basement; Mega's eyes widened; the floor had been almost entirely removed and filled with water, frozen over lightly in most places. The part that was not, in the center of the large room, was occupied by, of all thing, a SUBMARINE. "Wonder how the heck they got THAT in here…" As he crossed it, taking out the turrets manned by Sniper Joe humanoid robots, the hero began to realize there were a few downsides to the Jet Armor.

"Hm… looks like I can't charge shots. And it's too bulky to pull off the slide move… the jetpack drags. Still…" He reached the end of the sub, and looked over the missing expanse of floor. Only a few untrustworthy-looking floating platforms led to the ladder out of the basement, and below them were the frigid waters. "In situations like this, it can't be beat." Jumping into the air, Mega flew past all the platforms without even bothering and grabbed the ladder's rungs. Walking out of the station's back door, Mega destroyed another giant squid robot without taking any damage this time, then looked across an icy chasm to the two smaller huts waiting side-by-side. Jetting across, he disengaged the Jet Armor. "Now then, which one of these two should I choose… I took the one on the left last time, so…" He walked through the metal shutter on the right. Like with Plant Man, the room it led to had no roof, and was covered in ice and snow. "All right, you, I've arrived! Get your round white butt down here so we can get this over with, already!"

"Anxious to fight, are you, Mega Man?" Mr. X's voice gloated. "That was a very interesting new ability you used on the way here… that can't have been Plant Man's, especially since Rush was involved. He always was such a good doggie… give him a bone for me, will you, and tell him his old buddy Mr. X said hi." Mega gritted his teeth. "But I hope you don't think that will help you in this fight… a jetpack won't do a thing against this foe!" A flash of movement from above drew Mega's eyes to the walltop as Blizzard Man launched himself off of it in a rolling sphere of movement, and the lights flashed with extra-thick drama. "Round 2 of the World Robotics Tournament! Champion: The Blue Bomber! Challenger: The Snow Master! FIGHT!"

"Please excuse the master…" Blizzard Man apologized as he uncurled himself from his rolling mode and turned to face his opponent. "He does so love his theatrics. Am I correct in assuming that the only one of my allies you have defeated so far is Plant Man?"

"That's right." Mega nodded, shifting to the Plant Barrier. "Your point?"

"In that case, a piece of advice. Do not bother calling upon it… your Mega Buster will be all you can depend on in this fight." Blizzard Man informed him.

"That so…" Mega thought back to a previous, similar fight, and shook his head. "Pardon me if I don't exactly take that at face value. I've always been kind of stubborn that way… especially when it comes to hints from enemies."

"I assure you, I am not the type to lie… but if you insist…" Blizzard Man's hands gripped his skis tightly. "I shall have to demonstrate!" His eyes flashed, and four shuriken-like blades of ice flew out from him. Mega Man dodged them all easily and smiled as he saw Blizzard Man immediately launch himself forward in his rolling attack.

"Knew you'd do that!" The Blue Bomber crowed, activating his Plant Barrier. "Now then, let's-OOF!" Blizzard Man's rolling bulk blasted through the force field like it was made of paper and continued forward, smashing Mega Man flat against the ground before continuing on to bounce off a wall. Prying himself off of the ground, Mega shook his head. "What… happened?"

"I am guessing your confidence came from your fight with Dive Man in the Fourth Rebellion." Blizzard Man turned to face him again. "There, his high-speed physical attacks were completely deflected by the force field. This has led you to believe that in a similar situation, the same effect will always occur. However, there are two things you forgot to take into account. One, I believe Dr. Cossack to be superior than Dr. Salguerdo from Brazil, who built Plant Man… in other words, the Skull Barrier is stronger than the Plant Barrier. And second… my attack, while being slightly slower than Dive Man's charge, is also slightly more powerful. These two factors render your Plant Barrier USELESS against me." He glared at Mega Man. "Now, are you ready to fight for real?"

"Heh… you've really done your homework, I see." The Blue Bomber changed back to his Mega Buster. "Fair enough… let's get it on!" He fired a charged shot, and at the same time, Blizzard Man launched his snowflake shuriken again… but this time, the bladed weapons were eradicated as they flew out by the plasma blast, which continued to hit the master of snow right between the eyes. "Speaking of overpowering… those flakes are nothing compared to MY main weapon."

"Hmph… we shall see who triumphs in the end!" Blizzard Man launched himself forward in the rolling attack again, but this time Mega Man hurdled it and ran at a wall. When Blizzard Man pursued him, he jumped again right before hitting it, and the enemy bounced off, reverting to his stationary form just in time to catch a charged shot.

"Your attack has its flaws too… when you hit something solid, you revert." Mega noted. "I may not be able to defend against a head-on collision, but I can still dodge it." He fired again, destroying the snowflakes and landing another hit. "And like I told you, those things won't work against me either." Blizzard Man growled and began rolling again, and once again Mega managed to force him to revert with a wall collision and leave himself open. "Also… that bulk of yours may make for a powerful impact, but it also makes you a big target." One last shot brought Blizzard Man to his knees. "Impressive thinking on the Plant Barrier, but not enough to beat a veteran of five Rebellions, who's had to figure out the flaws and weaknesses in numerous enemies before you."

"So… I see." Blizzard Man gasped. "Then… you truly are… the victor. And yet… I shall not stop until… I am dead." He tried the rolling assault one last time, and Mega's last shot upon its end left him motionless and silent. His hands slowly fell open, revealing the circuit plate gripped in the wool glove on one of them.

"Both right so far." Mega took the chip and began searching the body for Blizzard Man's weapons chip as well. "Let's see how long my streak lasts."

----------------------------

"They'll all be asleep by now…" Mega Man muttered to himself as he arrived outside of his family's home around midnight. "Teleport took longer than I thought." Matter teleportation, still a new technology, had its share of flaws; the most glaring, of course, was that organic life forms could not undergo the process without suffering severe brain damage or even death. Another, however, was the time factor; Dr. Light maintained that eventually a teleporter would be created that could beam the user to any location on the planet in a matter of seconds or minutes, but as of yet that dream had not yet been realized. Teleporting to a distant locale like Switzerland and back took up most of Mega Man's day. "I'll have to be careful not to wake anybody up… hopefully, Rush and Eddie are in stasis too. The neighbors were NOT amused that time they decided to welcome me home at maximum volume… huh?" Walking into the living room, the Blue Bomber frowned at the sight of somebody sleeping on the couch, covered by a spare blanket. After a moment he realized that it was Dr. Trenton Corbun. "What's he doing here…?"

"Hey, bro." Roll's voice greeted him quietly, causing him to jump again. "I was wondering when you'd be back."

"Roll!" He turned to her. "Don't scare me like that. What are you still doing up, anyways? Shouldn't you be in stasis by now? I thought you said there'd be no more long worknights."

"I figured somebody should be around to explain Doc Corbun to you." She indicated the snoring man. "Let's go into another room… I doubt even an elephant could wake him up right now, but it's best not to take chances." Nodding, Mega followed her into the dining room. "Blizzard Man's kaput, I see."

"Yeah. Plant Barrier was useless, but still, nothing I couldn't handle." The Blue Bomber summarized. "Looks like things have been much more interesting here…"

"You don't know the half of it." Roll sighed and glanced down. "It was pretty quiet for most of the day… we got one of those circuit plates rebuilt. But then around 9 PM, Doc Corbun's rental pulled up out front… well, maybe pulled up isn't the right word. More like 'nearly wrapped itself around a lamppost.' It was close."

"Yeesh." Mega Man winced. "I thought he was a good driver."

"Normally, he is." Roll agreed. "Problem was, he was drunk. Very drunk. He came to tell us… well…" She looked down again. "Yesterday, after he got out of the hospital… Vinkus had a heart attack. He's back in there again."

"No way." Mega murmured. "Why? Why now?"

"You have to ask? The same reason Doc Corbun's been drinking so heavily." Roll shook her head. "Mr. X. Those three were even closer friends with each other than with dad. Either their friend was the real source behind the Rebellion after all… or, even if this is Wily again, he's likely dead or dying by now. He wouldn't be able to survive the same kind of captivity Kalinka and Dad were put through, even if Wily didn't just kill him right off… he's over eighty, and he was in World War III. And that's just one scenario… he could still very well actually be a complete nut job who's been funding Wily while pretending to be our buddy all along. Either way, it's bad."

"Yeah… I can see your point." Mega nodded.

"They aren't sure exactly what caused the attack yet, but I'd bet it's related to that in some way." Roll shook her head sadly. "Doc Corbun was already working on a bottle when somebody on the UN finally had the decency to call him up. It wasn't until he had finished some more that he decided he needed to come down here and tell us about it, too… and in the state he was in at the time, he couldn't tell that it wasn't a good idea right at the moment. I'm just glad he made it here in one piece. After that, we sure as heck weren't going to let him drive back to his hotel, so he's sleeping it off over here. He'll have one killer hangover tomorrow."

"Geez." Mega Man shook his head. "What a downer. Did you look into Vinkus? Is he…"

"Yeah, I check up… and don't worry, he's out of danger. We're going to go visit him tomorrow." Roll assured him. "He's tougher than he looks… I think he'll recover fine in the long run."

"Yeah." Mega Man stood. "Well then, we should probably go into stasis ourselves before this gets any more depressing."

"You've got a point." Roll agreed. "Well, night." Nodding, Mega Man went to his room and lied down in the capsule, hoping that tonight, at least, he wouldn't have any bad dreams about… about… about whatever it was that he had bad dreams about.

"For the life of me, I can't remember what it is… hope that's not a bad sign of something."


	7. Chapter 6: The New West

**_Chapter 6: The New West_**

In the depths of a hidden underground lair, a single human stirred. The only number of his species to inhabit the building, among the hundreds of robot guardians that surrounded him, he made no efforts to protect his aged, frail body from the cold that permeated his metal surroundings. Shivering slightly, his eyes snapped open, still hidden behind the sunglasses he always wore, even when sleeping.

"I wonder why I insist on that…" Mr. X muttered to himself, yawning. "It is hardly necessary now, surrounded as I am by no beings other than my mechanical minions… and yet I continue to do so at all times. I suppose after all this time… all those failures, and hidden truths uncovered… I still wish to keep the air of mystery around me, even when there are none to benefit from it." He shook his head. "Foolishness… but then, I am an old man. I can permit myself a few quirks and idiosyncrasies." Rising, he dressed himself in the black robes he always wore now, then took his cane and began walking slowly down the corridors. "At least it's quieter down here now that the Robot Masters have all departed… although it is more boring as well." He frowned. "A bit of loneliness there, old man? Be more careful… remember, they are just robots like an others, and in the end robots are but tools… instruments of war, to be used as needed. What's truly important is the men behind them." Thinking of the robots brought on the urge to see them… to see the ones who commanded under him, anyways. His latest eight Robot Masters. They weren't the most dangerous set of any Rebellion, but they were interesting enough to pose a threat. If one of them turned out to be the one that would finally accomplish his mission, well and good, and if they didn't… Mr. X shrugged. Another contingency he had already accounted for. Sitting down in front of his desk, he called up the communications channel he and all the Robot Masters used for communicating. The billionaire frowned as he connected; it was already in use.

"-And the horse you rode in on, too!" Tomahawk Man, the volatile US Robotics model, was taunting his British counterpart. "Yeah, the HORSE! Ooh, looks like you didn't like that one! Are you finally going to come down here and do something about it, Captain Chivalry?"

"You have no idea how much I so dearly wish to, scoundrel!" The heavily armored Knight Man growled back, temper obviously rising. "Were I not ordered to maintain my position by our master, I would be only too happy to journey to locale and obliterate that loathsome smirk from thy features!"

"Yap yap yap, cut the crap." Tomahawk Man yawned. "Orders this and honor that. I still say you're really just an armored chicken. You're all talk, Sir Gala-hack. I don't even know why I'm on this channel wasting my time talking to you… it's obvious you'll never have enough guts to actually do something about it, even after we finish our job."

"Perhaps it is because you are a troublemaking loudmouth, Tomahawk Man?" Mr. X interrupted before the furious Knight Man could respond, which was probably a good thing considering the steam that had started rising from under the British Robot Master's armor.

"Ah! Uh… hiya, boss." Tomahawk Man chuckled weakly. "I… didn't know you were there. You, uh, been on this channel for a while, have you? Listening in on us? Ah heh heh… please say no."

"I only signed on a moment ago." Mr. X explained, smirking at the obvious look of relief that passed on the normally confident warrior's face. Despite the vast differences in their simulated personalities, all of the Robot Masters shared a deep fear of their human master. "However, that doesn't mean I can't just look up the recording of this channel… or ask Knight Man." Tomahawk Man blanched. "Was he bothering you unduly, Knight?" Knight Man was silent for a moment, obviously torn between anger at the interloper and loyalty to a comrade.

"…Not unduly, no." He stated finally. "It was merely 'goofing around' as I believe it is put. I was not too concerned… by this time, I am used to Tomahawk Man's behavior towards me."

"Fair enough… I suppose you would have to be." Mr. X conceded, smiling wider. Both Robot Masters knew full well that he wasn't fooled, but he decided to be merciful for once and let it drop. "Have you had much contact with the others?"

"Er… yeah." Tomahawk Man nodded, frowning suspiciously after Knight Man had bailed him out. "Flame Man was on earlier… about five minutes before you came on, he, well… he kinda threw up his hands and said he was sick of refereeing our arguments all the time."

"I see." Mr. X nodded. "And the others?"

"Centaur Man checks with us all on occasion to see how we are doing, but does not contribute much conversation." Knight Man continued. "Wind Man says hello occasionally, but I don't believe I've heard from Yamato Man… and, of course, Plant Man and Blizzard Man…"

"Yeah… pretty much the same here." Tomahawk Man agreed.

"Hm… very well." Mr. X conceded. "Still, enough tomfoolery. Concentrate on the tasks at hand, and be prepared if Mega Man chooses to come for either of you… you especially, Tomahawk Man."

"Ha… I'll be ready for him, all right." The hotheaded Robot Master grinned cockily. "There's still somebody else I'd rather fight, but I'll be happy to prove myself on blueboy's body too!"

"Yes, you do that, Tomahawk Man. Mr. X, out." The billionaire cut the channel and shook his head; the idiot probably wasn't even aware that the enemy could now exploit his structural flaw. Smiling grimly, he thought back again to the moment he had realized that all eight of the Robot Masters, once again, had flaws that corresponded perfectly to each others' weapons; a weakness he had thought to avoid by selecting the cream of the crop from individual designers. At the time, he had ranted and raged, but now he could view it simply as fate once again going out of its way to stymie his goals. In the end, however, he would have the last laugh. Yes, that was what he should focus on now; his secret project, the contingency in case THIS Rebellion failed like all the others. Always have a contingency; that was one of the lessons he had struggled to spread to all of his subordinates, Rebellion after Rebellion, and one that he still maintained an ironclad devotion to. Walking down to a lower level of the fortress, Mr. X entered a robotics workshop full of mess and clutter, tools left out and spare parts thrown everywhere. Lying on one workbench, however, was the main focus of his current activities; a robot shaped like a human. Chuckling, Mr. X bent over it.

"It's been a while since I've done this… hope I haven't lost the touch."

----------------------------

"Hm… looks more barren out here than I'd thought it would be." Mega Man noted, ignoring Mr. X's obnoxious blather and looking around the location where Disney World, a massive tribute to one of the country's most successful entertainment companies, had once stood. That was before the Third World War, however; though it had no strategic value, the amusement park had apparently been targeted by an enemy country as a flip of the bird to the States, as had many parts of the world during the final, frenzied days. "Figured it would be abandoned ruins like Vegas… although they used biological weapons there… well, whatever. Looks like Tomahawk's made some effort to fix it up, anyways. Whoops, here comes the posse…" Four green humanoids in ludicrous cowboy hats were advancing on him; spreading out, they pulled out what looked like antique six-shooters but were almost certainly more modern weapons. Mega frowned; a bullet didn't pose as much of a threat to his robotic body as the more common plasma weapons such robots usually used, but it would still hurt. Fortunately, he was able to dispose of all four robots only taking one clip to his arm. Following an irritatingly patronizing arrow sign, he walked into a tunnel that had been done up to resemble a mine shaft; however, what he found down its lengths could not be said to resemble mining equipment by ANY stretch of the imagination.

"What the heck is THIS supposed to be?" The Blue Bomber glared up at the huge mechanical sphere hanging from the ceiling, attached to it by many long, twisting pipes and circuits. The lower half of the sphere was covered in metal and had what looked like a spigot on the bottom. The upper half, however, looked like glass but was probably some much tougher, transparent metalloy that showed the sphere's interior as being packed, completely full, of Metools. The small, hard-hat wearing robots were Mega's most common foe, modified for war against him in every Rebellion since the first. The spigot dropped one of them to the ground in front of him and it charged, firing, only to be blown away easily. A moment later, a new Met shot into the machine out of one of the pipes, filling it again. "So… it's a Metool dispenser. That's fantastic. What's next, a vending machine?" Growling, the hero began searching for a vulnerable point. Most of the sphere turned out to be plasma-deflective, but eventually he discovered that the spigot did not share the capacity. Reducing it to wreckage left the dispenser with no way to release its contents, but new Mets kept pouring in, seemingly unable to stop. Before long, the obvious happened and the entire construct exploded violently, leaving the way forward open for Mega, who had thoughtfully covered up with the Plant Shield. The tunnels beyond there threw a few spiked miniature tanks at him that he destroyed before they got anywhere near him; a good thing, as it turned out, since they had been stuffed with explosives. Shaking his head, Mega continued on.

"Beep!" Dropping down from the ceiling, Eddie greeted him again.

"Hey, Ed." The Blue Bomber greeted his suitcase-bot friend happily. "Didn't see you at Blizzard Man's. What happen? Did you teleport into the water around that crazy sub?" Eddie narrowed his eyes and released a stream of binary best left untranslated. "I'll take that as a yes. So, what have you got for me?" In response, the 'bot flipped open his lid to reveal a metal canister, blue and slightly glowing. "An E-Tank? Awesome!" Portable recharges for a robot's internal operations energy, E-Tanks were a rarity, one that not even a prosperous family such as the Lights could maintain a constant supply of. Most of the ones Mega acquired were scavenged from the enemy; none of the Lights had ever asked where Eddie got his supply, deciding that they were better of not knowing. "Thanks, Ed… this'll come in handy!"

"Beep beep!" Smiling, Eddie teleported away, and Mega continued on, emerging back above ground. Now the sun was setting , making the western look around him even moreso. The long stretch of ground in front of him before the next "mine" entrance was swarming with enemy robots, a sight that made the Blue Bomber frown until he saw the scaffolding hanging overhead, an easy way across with somebody who could get up there… that was to say, somebody with more jumping ability than his own. Fortunately, his new Jet Armor offered him an alternative to improving his vertical leap, and once up there, he was able to make it across to drop down into the next tunnel easily. A second Metool Dispenser stood in his way, and it was disposed of just like the first. Beyond it stood something more troubling, however; a fork in the road, two tunnels leading up and down. "I must be almost to the Robot Master… looks like this choice won't be as simple as the previous ones. I hate complications."

"Things are only complicated when you want them to be." Another voice reprimanded him. "You should know that by now." Whistling his favorite tune, Proto Man dropped down from the ceiling to land next to his younger brother, a strange apparatus held under one arm and his familiar plasma-deflective shield in the other.

"Hey, bro." Mega greeted him. "What's that thingy?"

"Dr. Corbun's energy balancer." Proto Man grinned.

"You got it back already? Awesome." Mega congratulated him. "So does this mean you know where X is hiding out… anything on him?"

"Afraid not…" The red-armored Robot Master shook his head. "Believe it or not, I actually found this thing in the stadium the tourney took place in… it was hidden down in the basement. As for X himself, I've got nothing so far… I found a new Skull Fortress, but before you jump, it was completely inactive… nothing there had been in use for months. Could have just been a backup for redundancy… sounds like what Wily would do."

"Yeah, I think I heard him rambling about something like that one of the times we fought." Mega nodded in agreement. "Well, I'm sure you'll find something eventually… you're good at stuff like that."

"Yeah… here, you might as well take this. You'll use it more than I would." Proto handed him the Energy Balancer. "Dad and Cossack will be able to install it. For now, though, what say you take the high road and I'll take the low road, and we hope you're right like the previous two times?"

"Sounds like a plan to me." Mega smiled. "I assume you went by and nabbed the weapons chips from the two fakes after they were shut down?"

"Does Beat like to chew on power lines?" His brother replied sardonically, quickly shifting his colors to the Plant Barrier's pink and the Blizzard Attack's light blue, both with white. "Good luck. See you when I've got more info."

"Right." Nodding, Mega headed down the upper tunnel. Before long he came to a metal shutter, as he expected, and walked through it into a plain, undecorated green square room. The moment he entered, Mr. X's voice came in as usual, gloating for the cameras that were surely recording it.

"And here we are for Round 3's final fight, ladies and gentlemen! Perhaps the most audacious of our challengers, it's the Bladed Barbarian Vs. the Blue Bomber! Can US Robotics, the company who designed the maniacs who terrorized you all in the Fifth, produce a contestant to bring down the champion? Let's find out!" Mega winced momentarily at the slander, but there were more important things to worry about as the enemy jumped down from a hole in the ceiling.

"Hey, blue boy." Tomahawk Man grinned, rubbing a finger across his decorative face paint. "Ready to rumble?"

"More than." Mega fired a charged shot off without warning, but Tomahawk Man jumped it just as easily, and the Blue Bomber had to slide away from him.

"Good, good!" Tomahawk Man yelled, turning and throwing a spinning blade. "You're not Knight Man, but maybe this'll be almost as good!" Mega was about to call out a retort to that, but something else made him think.

"We all gotta make sacrifices sometimes." He answered shortly instead, mind racing. _If he's still got that going on in his head, maybe I can nail him with it at the right time-WHOA!_ The blade was faster than he thought, and what he had figured to be a complete dodge nicked him slightly. _Have to be more careful…_ Rising, he saw the enemy robot charging, bellowing a war cry as he brought another tomahawk down like a battleaxe. This attack was easily dodged by Mega, who fired a charged shot into Tomahawk Man's face that sent him flying. Another one hit before he could rise and jump away.

"Impressive… you ARE good!" Tomahawk Man crowed. "Pity I can only use my one arm. Why don't you stop fooling around and use both?"

"You really think you can trick me into overloading that easily?" Mega snarled. "You're not too bright."

"Hey, anything's worth a shot." Tomahawk Man shrugged, hurling a succession of flying tomahawks that Mega struggled to dodge, unable to avoid several more nicks and one larger cut on his shoulder. "As long as you win in the end, you're stronger. Doesn't matter how you do it!"

"Is that why Knight Man ticks you off?" Mega Man smirked, not returning fire. "Don't try to kid me… Mr. X can't have failed at removing that directive towards animosity US Robotics built into you. Which means your current grudge against him most have grown naturally in that personality simulation of yours… it's a personal foolishness. You want to beat him now because you don't like him, not because of the way you were designed."

"Hey, shut up!" Tomahawk Man yelled, charging angrily. Calmly, Mega Man blasted him away.

"As a matter of fact… you should be grateful you never actually fought him. The way you are now… you'd have no chance at all against that guy." The Blue Bomber fired another charged shot, but Tomahawk Man jumped to his feet and spun around it to face him.

"Is that so…" The bladed barbarian growled. "Well then… what if I start doing THIS?" His head shot forward, but the rest of his body remained stationary; with his cranium, however, the massive mane of feathers he wore on his head also shot out, and three of them detached, flying forward to slam into Mega Man's legs and left arm. They were really metal darts… painful ones, Mega noted as he fell to his knees. "HA! Still think I'd have no chance?" Tomahawk Man jibed.

"I never… saw THAT one in the Tournament." Mega grunted.

"Of course! Even back then, I was saving it for Knight!" Tomahawk Man launched another flying tomahawk the Mega was able to barely avoid.

"Is that so…" The Blue Bomber frowned. _Crud… getting too risky for me to try finishing him with just my Buster. I've still got that E-Tank if I really need it, but I'd prefer to hold onto that. If he's been watching previous fights, he'll expect me to test out the Blizzard Attack… so…_ Rising painfully, Mega changed to the Plant Barrier and brought it up.

"Didn't Blizzard Man already show you that thing was worthless?" Tomahawk Man jeered. "Plant Man didn't belong with the rest of us… he was a chump!"

"Is that so." Mega Man smiled confidently. "Why don't you destroy this thing yourself, then?"

"If you insist, fool!" Tomahawk Man thrust his head forward, launching the feather darts again. Mega stood his ground and smile as all three fell off of the force field harmlessly. "What? But…"

"As you see, it's not that easy." Mega Man shook his head disdainfully. "My turn." He charged, running at his enemy. A desperate tomahawk bounced off as well, and Tomahawk Man jumped away over his foe's head. "Knew you'd do that…" Turning and dropping, Mega slid under him. Landing hard on the force field, Tomahawk Man grunted in pain and bounced off, sprawling on the ground face down. The Barrier was dissipated by the hit, but Mega Man simply brought it back up as he leaped onto Tomahawk Man's back. Again it broke as it smashed him down into the ground, and again he repeated it, pounding with the sphere of energy again and again until Tomahawk Man finally stopped twitching and was still. Getting down, Mega pried open his hand and scowled; there was nothing there. He had chosen the wrong one.

"Well, it had to happen sometime." He sighed. "At least Blues is here bringing down the real bad dude. I might as well leave, I suppose…" Grabbing the weapons chip, he teleported out.

----------------------------

"Councilor Vinkus? Yes, he said he thought you would be coming by…" A nurse nodded proprietarily at the Roll, Kalinka and the three robotocists. "This way, please." Turning, she led them down the halls. "Please try to be quick… he's recovering, but he's still quite weak. Councilor… your visitors have arrived."

"Ah… thank you, nurse." Darwin Vinkus glanced up from the book he was reading. "I had hoped you would come by, my friends… eh?" His eyes widened at the bruises on Dr. Corbun's face. "Trent, what happened to you?"

"Oh, it's nothing, Darwin." Dr. Corbun shrugged. "Just had a few more drinks than I should have last night. I'll be fine."

"I've talked to you about that… be careful." Vinkus shook his head. "This is not the time to become an alcoholic… not that there's ANY time for that." He turned to the others. "Thomas, Sergei… I'm glad to see you're looking well. Little Kalinka… how nice of you to come see me. And… Roll." He looked a bit surprised. "Thank you for coming as well. I wasn't expecting a… well, never mind that." Roll bit her lip, knowing full well what he had been about to say. _A robot._ Though he was at least trying to keep it buried, the councilor's prejudices were obviously still firmly entrenched.

"We were all concerned when Dr. Corbun told us what happened." She explained politely after a moment. "We would have brought Rush and Eddie, but I don't think the hospital staff are trained to deal with those two…" Even Vinkus smiled at that. "I'm sure Rock and Blues would have been here as well if they weren't working full-time on the Rebellion."

"Ah yes, the Rebellion." Vinkus nodded, all traces of humor vanishing from his face. "How goes it on that front, then?"

"Two down… probably three by now, really." Dr. Light decided. "Rock left for Tomahawk Man's today, and both Plant and Blizzard were already taken care of. So far, he hasn't had too much trouble."

"So I see." Vinkus smiled a bit wanly. "Well, it's good to see that things are proceeding towards the end of the Rebellion… not that I doubted young Rock." He looked down. "He and Blues both remain as strong as ever… while I succumb to weakness at this most critical of times. I hope the UN hasn't been giving you all too much trouble… Martel from the US would try to control the others as best he can, but by himself…"

"We have been avoiding them for the most part." Dr. Cossack explained. "Rock has been purposefully trying to be gone whenever they call the house… he prefers to rely on his own judgment when deciding the order of attack rather than have it chosen for him by politics. Nothing personal, my friend."

"No, no, I know what those fools are like." Vinkus sighed. "That's why I'm so disgusted with myself about this… I should be there helping all of you out as much as I can, by keeping the other idiots off of your back… and here I am, bedridden and helpless. I've failed to do my part."

"Don't talk like that, Darwin." Dr. Corbun muttered, subdued. "It's not right. We're… you're not like this. You'll get better… be back on your feet in no time. Don't blame yourself for something you couldn't control." The others looked surprised; although they had been friends, Corbun and Vinkus had spent most of their association constantly sniping at each other, with Mr. X as mediator. Vinkus, however, merely smiled and nodded at the British man's sudden openness.

"You do the same, Trent… I won't press you, but you don't look like you just had a few too many. Make sure to take care of yourself as well, and I will strive to recover as fast as I can… hopefully before this Rebellion ends, so I'm not completely useless. If that were to be the case…" He looked away again. "Perhaps it would be time for me to start thinking about my retirement."

"…I won't tell you no." Dr. Light said quietly after a few uncomfortable moments in which everybody was silent. "I know and respect you too much for that. But don't rush into this… think long and hard. Once that decision is made, you can't take it back, you realize."

"Yes, I know." Vinkus smiled again. "Besides, it wouldn't have to be right away… I think I've got a FEW more years in me still. After all, even if I'm the second senior here I'm not as old as you are, Tom."

"This is what I get for being supportive." Dr. Light complained jokingly. "Blues was right. I should go off into the mountains and herd goats."

"What?" Roll choked. "When did he tell you THAT?"

"Oh, it was before your time." Dr. Light chuckled. "He said it while he was angry over a certain robotics experiment backfired rather messily. Blues only likes explosions when he doesn't have to clean up after them."

"Can't say I blame him for that." Dr. Cossack chuckled. "Still, I can't really see you as the farmer hermit type."

"It would cut down on the door-to-door salesmen incidents, at least." Roll cracked. "I almost felt sorry for that last one when Eddie answered the door."

"Ha ha…" Vinkus chuckled, a much broader smile crossing his face than any of them had seen for some time. "Thank you, my friends… I feel somewhat better now. I haven't had occasion to laugh enough recently."

"Blues told me something once." Kalinka offered. "He told me I should smile as much as possible… even when bad things were happening. He said that as long as you could find at least one thing to smile about, then you weren't completely lost… and never would be."

"Indeed." Dr. Corbun nodded in agreement. "Well then, we'll let you rest, Darwin… make sure to get better as soon as you can."

"I plan to." Vinkus shook all of their hands, and watched them walk out, promising to visit again soon. After Dr. Light closed the door behind them, the UN Councilor laid down and closed his eyes, the smile still present on his face.

"Time to start thinking, indeed…"


	8. Chapter 7: Gone With The Wind

**_Chapter 7: Gone With The Wind_**

"_A flyboy. I HATE flyboys. Ah well, it's target practice at least. We'll see if you're still so cocky after your wings have been clipped, bucko." -Advanced Robot Master Bass, assessing opponent Tengu Man_

"So you didn't bring back the circuit plate this time… oh well, nobody can be right on every one when it comes to something like that." Dr. Light sighed. Mega Man nodded in agreement.

"If my intuition was THAT sharp, I'd be able to hit the weakness of every Robot Master ever time right off the bat. At least Proto Man was there to take out the real Tomahawk Man. He did succeed right?"

"Well, all the robots in the area have deactivated. I'd call that a yes." Dr. Cossack reported. "He hasn't called in himself to confirm it, to my daughter's irritation, but that's not really unexpected… you know what Blues is like."

"Oh, yes. That, I definitely know." Mega shook his head, smiling. "Sometimes I think he doesn't even know how to use a phone, and doesn't care enough to learn how. Oh well, we put up with him." He jumped off the workbench they had been using to repair him. "Everything feels fine, as usual."

"Yeah, well, don't thank us." Roll snorted. "For once it looks like you fought a blade user and came back without being completely sliced up. That was a pleasant surprise, let me tell you."

"I'll pass, thanks… nothing personal, sister dear, but you tend to go on and on… and on… given the opportunity. Especially when it comes to mine and Blues' character flaws." Mega chuckled. "Anyways. Even without Tomahawk Man's, I'm hoping the rebuilding of Beat's circuit plates is going well?"

"We're managing to put out one a day, even with Roll keeping us on a fairly slack work schedule." Dr. Light gave his robotic daughter a disapproving glance, which she returned full force.

"Don't look at me like that, dad. Kalinka's agreeing with me on this; we're NOT going to let you two nearly kill yourselves like you did with the Jet Armor every night. One circuit plate a day is a good enough pace."

"It'll be fine." Mega Man assured them, attempting to settle the arguing. "So then, how's Councilor Vinkus doing?" At that question, everybody else fell silent. The Blue Bomber winced. "Oh man… that bad, huh?"

"Well, not like you might think…" Dr. Light shook his head. "It's not the heart attack… he seemed to be recovering from that fine. It was more about what caused it… for the first time I can remember, Darwin truly did look… old. I believe the term commonly used is 'feeling his age'… although really, it was more like he was feeling an age far beyond his. He even admitted directly that he wished to return to the Council in order to keep the other members off of our backs."

"He's never said anything like that outright before." Mega shook his head slowly. "Man oh man, I don't like the sound of that."

"He's… considering retirement after this Rebellion, I think." Roll looked down. "He's never exactly been one of my favorite people, but still… seeing him like this… wasn't nice. To say the least."

"At least Trent seems to be doing better." Dr. Cossack sighed. "After we all visited Darwin, he returned to his hotel and promised not to do any more drinking. I think right now what he really wishes to do is find another way to aid you."

"Well, knowing Dr. Corbun, he'll figure something good out." Mega smiled. "Everything he's contributed so far has been a big help throughout the Rebellions. Oh, speaking of that… I trust you managed to install the Energy Balancer successfully?"

"Of course." Dr. Light confirmed. "I took a look at it myself as well… like most of Trent's contributions, I never would have thought of the idea. Dividing weapons energy intake… after this Rebellion is finished, Sergei, Trent and myself must confer. With that as well as Sergei's records of that 'M-Tank' you discovered in the Fifth, we may be able to create a new type of E-Tank; one that restores Weapons Energy. A W-Tank, I suppose we would call it."

"Now that's one heck of an idea." Mega nodded approvingly. "Even though if all goes well this will be the last Rebellion." He didn't bother adding that they had hoped for that during ALL of the previous Rebellions; they were all obviously thinking about that anyways.

"Yes, well, even so." Dr. Light coughed. "Regardless, E-Tanks are used by other robots aside from yourself in non-Rebellion matters. Perhaps someday the system behind the Variable Weapons will become more widespread as well, and the W-Tanks will be of use."

"Maybe, yeah." The Blue Bomber nodded. "It would be kind of a bummer if me and Blues were the only guys who ever used that system. There should be some kind of use for it that doesn't involve actual weapons and fighting. Well, I suppose I really should get going… the sooner I leave, the sooner Wind Man bites it, and I still want to dodge the UN's calls."

"Going for the flyboy next, huh?" Roll shrugged. "Well, that works as well as any of the others, I guess."

"Yeah. He doesn't look so bad compared to some of the others, so I should be able to bring him down without too many Master Weapons. Let's just hope I guess right this time when it comes to picking the one who has the Circuit Plate… messing up once is okay, but if I make a habit of it… well, I'd better not." Mega sighed. "I'm off, then… wish me luck."

----------------------------

Not even bothering to acknowledge Mr. X's blabbering this time, Mega Man set off into the airport Wind Man had set up shop in immediately. At the entrance, a pair of robotic pandas grinned at him and began lobbing overhead shots from their maws. Dodging them, he destroyed one only to be hit by a straight shot from the other. Growling, he took that one out as well. "Change of arc… I shouldn't have been caught by something like that. Got to be more careful… maybe it's been too long since I had a real challenge. I might be getting cocky." He shook his head. "Focus, boy; get the job done first, then worry about yourself later, remember?" Entering the main building, he climbed up a level to find a small room with massive fans embedded in the floor, strong enough to lift even his metal body into the air. His surprise at this was cut off by an explosion that launched him from the fan back onto normal floor. Shaking his head, to clear out the stars, he glared at the mortar-launching cannon barrel mounted on a similar propeller that floated up and down, changing its level. "Cute trick… shame it'll only work once." Rising back into the air, he fired one well-timed charged shot to obliterate the cannon, then continued up onto the building's roof. Many parts of it had been removed, leaving gaping holes doubtless filled with something unpleasant at the bottom; to make matters worse, low-slung, spiked and armored Gabyool robots patrolled the areas of roof remaining. Plasma-deflective all over their small frames, Gabyools were, like Metools, a common sight in Rebellions simply because of how annoying their complete immunity to Mega's main weapon made them. However, another Master weapon always managed to do the job… the question was, did he have one that could yet.

"Might as well find out." The Blue Bomber shrugged, lobbing a Silver Tomahawk at the closest Gabyool. The flying blade whizzed towards the foe and bounced off without even scratching it, and Mega Man groaned. A wave of the Blizzard Attack, however, froze it solid. "Bingo. That'll do it." He continued on, freezing every Gabyool he saw until the enemy robots stopped coming. Instead, they were replaced by a much, much larger gap, with small, unsafe-looking hovering platforms providing a "bridge" across. Mega assessed them for a moment before shaking his head. "Uh-UH. Not by myself. Oh, Rush…" With the Jet Armor on, crossing was a much more feasible proposition; when the platforms dropped out from under him, as he expected, he simply rocketed over to the next and made sure to clear it while the jet's power recharged. Reaching the other side, he re-entered the inside of the building and dropped down a few floors until he was back on ground level.

"Ugh. I hate when they give me the run-around." After a few more annoying panda-bots, he emerged out on an enclosed airfield. Two identical weather towers loomed before him with ladders leading up to their tops, recently installed. "So… one of these. Man, I'd better get it right this time…" After a short internal debate, he chose the one on the left and climbed to the top. A segment of wall with a metal shutter in it had been dropped on top of the tower directly before the ladder-top. "Okay, that's just a LITTLE too much. Sheesh." Shaking his head, Mega walked through it and looked up as the stout orange Robot Master he had come to kill flew down. As usual, Mr. X began ranting and as usual, Mega ignored it.

"Why hello there, Mega Man." Wind Man greeted him, apparently ignoring his master as well. "So nice of you to pay me a visit."

"A visit's not exactly what I had in mind, I've gotta tell you…" Mega smiled sarcastically, charging his buster. "Unless you'd be willing to shut down your armies and come with me to the local lockup? I've always kind of wanted to do that, you know… be a nice change of pace."

"I imagine this would get a bit repetitive after all these times." Wind Man agreed, then shook his head. "Unfortunately, I'm afraid I can't oblige."

"Shame. Might as well get started, then…" Mega fired, but Wind Man blasted off with much more speed than one would expect from his squat shape, rising straight up before launching forward in a perfect line. Braking on a dime, he then plunged downward onto his hapless foe-who was already sliding away and firing another charged shot behind him.

"You'll have to do better than Gyro Man's moves if you want to beat me." Mega Man shook his head.  
"So it seems… how about this, then?" Wind Man crouched, and the massive fans on his shoulders began revving, producing a suction that pulled Mega Man towards him. As he neared, Wind Man launched a sucker punch, then howled as a sharp blade tore past him with Mega Man attached.

"The same goes for Magnet Man." The Blue Bomber informed him, readying the Silver Tomahawk he held for another strike. "These things are meant to be thrown, but they're not too bad as hand-to-hand either, are they?"

"Actually…" Wind Man turned and stretched, displaying the wound on his arm-just a tiny scratch. "That didn't hurt anywhere near as much as I thought it did."

"Damn… oh well, it was worth a shot." Chucking the Tomahawk, Mega tried the Blizzard Attack. Wind Man went airborne again and flew through it harmlessly, chuckling.

"A light snow, but nothing I'm not used to up here!" He landed again, and again Mega dodged it.

"I told you already, Gyro Man's move won't-" He broke off as he saw Wind Man aiming his right arm. _Oh right… he can launch propeller blades too. Well, I've dealt with that-what!_ Too late, he saw that the arm didn't have one launcher port-it had TWO. Twirling around each other, the pair of razor-sharp propeller blades flew at him, and despite his last-second twisting, Mega was unable to dodge them both-as a matter of fact, his contortions only carried him into both paths, getting him a cut on his right arm and left leg.

"How's that for an original move?" Wind Man inquired, beaming.

"Not bad." Mega grunted, firing another charged shot that hit him head-on. "How's that?"

"It hurts." Wind Man admitted. "But I can handle it." He began pulling Mega in again, and the Blue Bomber braced for the close-range fighting. However, after only a few seconds the squat orange Robot Master suddenly stopped the pull and threw out his arm. "Let's see you take more of these, though!" Again, Mega Man was sliced by both blades, but this time, he was able to return fire immediately.

"Let's see who lasts longer, then…" Mega suggested. No longer smiling, Wind Man silently flew up and stomped down again. As usual, Mega Man slid out, but this time as soon as he stopped, he repeated the move-and Wind Man's propeller blades flew over his head, harmlessly. The charged shot he fired back, on the other hand, was a direct hit, and Wind Man stumbled back.

"What…"

"Or not." Mega shook his head. "Seems I've gotten around that move of yours too… maybe not all the time, but enough to bring you down first. So unless you've got a fourth trick, this looks like a foregone conclusion to me."

"Perhaps." Wind Man frowned. "But I cannot give in, regardless… let's keep at it!"

"If you insist." Mega charged another shot. "I'll make it as quick as possible… I always try to from now on." He charged forward as Wind Man began pulling him in, dropping into a slide the moment he saw the arm move. "See… there's a guy I did the opposite to once, and I owe him enough to not do the same to anybody else." Rising, he fired straight into the enemy's face. "Give him my regards if you see him once we're done here."

----------------------------

"Excuse me, sir." One of the two guards at the front entrance of the large building stepped forward. "I'm afraid we're closed during the duration of… of the Rebellion. Government orders."

"I have authorization." The visitor coughed and pulled a signed paper out of his trench coat. "The good Councilor is a friend of mine." The guard looked over the names and signature, and his eyes widened.

"Dr. Corbun, sir! Didn't recognize you!" He saluted sharply. "Of course you can go inside… after all, you helped… uh… build it…" His voice trailed off as he realized who the British doctor had helped.

"Real smooth, Lance." The other guard snorted, unlocking the door. "Go on in, doc… we'll make sure nobody bothers you."

"Thanks, fellas." Trent Corbun walked into the darkened building and looked around. "Power should be on, but I don't really feel like it… the windows are enough. I'm sure you guys, won't mind, eh?" He chuckled lightly as he looked around at the dozens of motionless, deactivated Robot Masters standing in various poses under glass bubbles, side by side down the walls of the massive entrance hall. "The Mr. X Robot Museum… still looking as sharp as ever, even if it's down right now. Wonder if they'll change the name once this is done with…"

Built during the Fifth Robot Rebellion, only a few years ago, the Robot Museum had been an idea of Mr. X's for several years before. When the United Nations had begun passing anti-robot legislature in response to the supposed Rebellion led by Blues, Mr. X had decided to speed up its construction and finish it immediately, a project with which Dr. Corbun had been all too glad to help with. At the time, it had been a spectacular achievement and one that had stopped the surge of anti-robotics sentiment dead in its tracks. Now… with Mr. X's recent moves, the Museum had been shut down and heavily inspected multiple times in case something there held some connection to the current Rebellion. Even after that had turned up blank, the Museum hadn't been reopened, and there was no word yet as to what is ultimate fate would be. Darwin Vinkus would do his best to keep the building intact, but with the way the council's members had been acting over recent years… there was only so much one man could do under conditions like those, after all.

"For the time being, though, it remains a place of solace." Dr. Corbun sighed, slumping down on a conveniently placed bench. "I can't keep bothering those guys… they've got more important things to do than mollycoddle a clown like me." At least he hadn't gotten drunk again, the British robotocist congratulated himself half-mockingly; that was something, anyways, especially after the near brush with horrible automotive death he had heard Rock and Roll talking about as he dozed on their couch. The memories of that night were all a blur, and nobody had mentioned it to him afterward, but that worried discussion through the sleepy fog stuck in his mind, too real to be a hallucination. Ever since, he had avoided alcohol like the plague; like most practicing robotocists, he intended to keep caffeine his only addiction, the only exception he could bring to mind at the moment being Thomas Light's pipe smoking.

"Really, though… the booze isn't the worst of my problems right now." Dr. Corbun shook his head. "You didn't come here to just to tell yourself you don't really need the bottle, old boy." No, the real source of his mental issues at the moment wasn't a chemical… it was a person. Mr. X, one of his closest friends, the billionaire he had met during the Third Robot Rebellion; both of them joining the Gamma Team and contributing everything they could to bring the Ultimate Peacekeeping Robot to completion. Gamma had failed, but the surviving four members of the team discounting Albert Wily had maintained the friendship that had grown during that brief alliance for years to come. And now the Sixth had happened… and one of Dr. Corbun's best friends was either a lying, treacherous madman himself or horribly dead. Although he had been the most self-effacing of the four, Mr. X's departure had shook them to the core and prompted changes that could not be undone. Trenton Corbun's depression and near-fatal moment of weakness… Darwin Vinkus' heart attack, and considered retirement… only Thomas Light remained at full capacity, working feverishly along with his assistant Sergei Cossack to aid Rock in the Rebellion. Dr. Corbun shook his head, realizing what was truly bothering him, what had brought him here.

"They've both been working as much as Roll will let them, doing all sorts of things to help out… and what have I done? One Energy Balancer… and I sure screwed THAT one up." He chuckled bitterly. "Oh yes, and allowed yet ANOTHER one of my Robot Master designs to be reprogrammed by the enemy. Can't forget that. Let's face it, old boy… you're outclassed, plain and simple. With both Tom and Sergei on the job, a second-rate hack like yourself just isn't needed for something this important any more." It was like Mr. X had been the bottom card in the stack… with him violently pulled out, the others were all scattering, flying away and apart. The truth of the matter was, Dr. Corbun's life no longer consisted of much that was important to him. After Sennet Robotics had been massacred, he had taken a job at US Robotics, one of his former competitors… but then when he had realized that the head man hadn't forgotten their past and was unwilling to keep that out of the workplace, Dr. Corbun had resigned in disgust. He, like the Doctors Light and Cossack, was independently wealthy enough to retire if he felt like it… he had only sought the US Robotics job out of boredom and a need to apply his skills. Skills which were outclassed in every way by the people he was now spending time with… visiting, half a world away from his actual home. He had his wife, of course, but she still had a career and a life of her own… he couldn't spend all his time bothering her, or their grown daughters. If he drifted away from the Lights and Cossacks, and his reluctant friend Vinkus… then did Dr. Trenton Corbun have anything else to do with his life at all?

"What should I do now…" The British Robotocist murmured, then lunged to his feet and slammed into a random Robot Master in the hall. Pressing his face against the glass bubble over it, he practically screamed. "TELL ME! Answer me! What should I do now!" The waxen, lifeless replica statue of Doc Man-who Trent had never seen actually seen in his original form-grinned silently back, unable to reply. It happened to be one of the few in the Hall of Robot Masters that wasn't an actual, potentially working duplicate, but such a distinction was beyond Dr. Corbun's mental facilities at the moment. Falling away from the glass, he fell back onto his bench and buried his head in his hands. "God… what CAN I do now…"

No matter how long he waited, the legions of Robot Masters who surrounded him had no answer for him.


	9. Chapter 8: Home Turf

**_Chapter 8: Home Turf_**

"_Despite the threatening capacity of Robot Rebellions to the entire globe, the Blue Bombers have always resided in the nation of Japan, both the original and his modern successor. Dr. Thomas Light, the creator of both, must have loved his country greatly to remain there for nearly his entire life." -Rebellions & Uprisings: Comparison Of The Past & Present_

"Oh, the foot wire's connected to the leg wire…" Mr. X sang to himself in a low tone as he worked on his secret project, lying flat on its back before him open to the world. "And the leg wire's connected to the… never-mind-that wire…" He frowned. "That ain't right. I think I may be misremembering how this goes. Bah, that's what I get for distracting myself. Focus, old man. Get the job done, then you can play around some. Who knows, you might even have this fella done in time to haul him in for the Fortress… no, no, plan ahead. This one's for NEXT time. Keep your priorities straight…" He began inserting a delicate microchip. "And above all, FOCUS…"

"Incoming call." The computerized voice startled him, causing him to plunge the chip straight into a crack in the table. After a few mild curses, Mr. X sighed.

"Perhaps it's time I took a break anyways… put it through."

"Hello, master." Centaur Man greeted him. "How are things going at the fortress today?"

"Oh, about the same." Mr. X shrugged. "I was in the middle of something, but it's all right. How are you and the other remaining Robot Masters doing? I assume you've been checking the comm lines regularly for them too, like I asked?"

"Of course." Centaur Man assured him. "Flame Man seems somewhat relieved now that he doesn't have to play the referee any more, now that Tomahawk Man's out of the picture. Knight Man's happy to see the last of that lunatic too, although you know he'd never admit it openly. You know, the whole honorable-as-heck thing he's got going on."

"Yes, I know all about Knight Man." Mr. X sighed.

"Yeah. He's been playing up the avenge-fallen-allies angle, but he did it a little TOO much when Tomahawk Man bit it." Centaur Man shook his head. "Oh well, it's not reducing his capabilities any, unlike Tomahawk's cockiness. It shouldn't really be a problem. Yamato Man, now…" The quadrapedal Robot Master frowned. "That one, I haven't seen on the comm channel at all, ever since day one. It's starting to worry me. Perhaps you could…"

"Yes, this needs looking at." Mr. X agreed. "Computer, signal Yamato Man's current location."

"Acknowledged." The computer replied pleasantly. A few moments later, a new face joined the comm channel.

"Centaur Man… master." Yamato Man bowed to them. "To what do I owe this summons?"

"Just wanted to see how you were doing, old buddy." Centaur Man explained, raising a metallic eyebrow. "You haven't said hi to anybody ever since we all set off on this caper. We were starting to think you didn't like us."

"Humor. Ha ha ha." Yamato Man stated drolly. "In response to your worries, was there really any need to? I have my mission, and I am carrying it out. Until then, all that is necessary is for me to continue waiting for Mega Man, yes?" Sighing, Centaur Man and Mr. X both passed hands in front of their faces.

"Yes, Yamato Man… I suppose so." Mr. X admitted. "Just… be ready for when he does come."

"I shall." Yamato Man paused. "How many of the others has he destroyed so far?"

"Four." Centaur Man grumbled. "Plant, Blizzard, Tomahawk, Wind."

"I see." Yamato Man nodded. "So currently… there is a 25 chance he will choose me next. And he will have four Master Weapons at his disposal." He seemed to smile. "That should provide a suitable challenge… I hope I get lucky. If you have no further messages for me…"

"No, go ahead." Mr. X waved him away. Nodding, Yamato Man broke the connection. "Ugh… I'm sorry, Centaur Man, but sometimes your robotic brethren are so… so…"

"Mechanical?" Centaur Man finished. "I know… I'm just glad I'm at least a little beyond that, myself… and there are other Robot Masters even farther than me, of course. Hm… speaking of which…" He looked at what was in front of Mr. X. "Is that what I think it is, master?"

"That depends…" Mr. X chuckled. "But if you think it is a Robot Master in progress… then yes, it is indeed. A little pet project of mine… something I've been working on for a while even before I started this Rebellion."

"If it's taking so long, then it can't just be an ordinary Robot Master." Centaur Man realized. "Is he close to completion, though? Do you plan to utilize him in the current Rebellion?"

"In the current one… no, I'm afraid not. He's a contingency plan… preparing in case a seventh is needed." Mr. X's sunglasses glittered. "I have always kept backup plans… I have another fortress ready and waiting aside from this one to run to if everything goes south, and I have plans for even more Robot Masters after this fellow here. Make no mistake, I dearly hope this Rebellion will be sufficient… but if it is not, I shall go on to a Seventh, then an Eighth, and a Ninth… however many are needed in order to finally kill Mega Man once and for all."

"I see." Centaur Man nodded grimly. "While I applaud your forethought, master… such things will not be necessary if I have anything to say about it." He smiled a bit sheepishly. "But then, I suppose most of the Robot Masters before me have said similar things. We shall simply have to see when the time comes." He glanced down at the Robot Master under construction once again. "So, if a seventh comes, this one will be part of the next set of eight?"

"Oh, no." Mr. X grinned fiercely. "Not at all. You were right when you said he had to be something special, Centaur Man. This fellow right here… isn't like the rest of you Robot Masters at all. Call him… the next level."

"…I see." Centaur Man looked slightly uncomfortable now. "Well. I suppose I should leave you to your work, then. Farewell, master."

"Goodbye, Centaur Man." Mr. X chuckled as his servant cut the comm. "Ah well… no rest for the wicked…" Bending over the Robot Master once more, he continued his work.

----------------------------

"Yikes… this place is closer to Tokyo than I thought." Mega Man frowned, looking out at the city visible in the distance from the mountainside location of Yukishiro hot springs. "Boy, am I glad this guy hasn't gotten antsy and started making raids… well, at least he hasn't for all I know. I haven't been looking at the news much this time around… could he… nah, the guys back home would have told me." Slightly relieved, he set out, obliterating the tanuki robots that now squatted in the resort's front entrance. Beyond them, a humanoid robot sighted him and bellowed a war cry; it wasn't a robot master, but it looked dangerous enough anyways, with a backpack full of spears like its master used. Grabbing one, it twirled it as a shield for several moment before hurling it at Mega Man with surprising speed. The Blue Bomber attempted to slide under it, but the spear still managed to graze his shoulder. Growling, he fired a charged shot, only to have it deflected by the next spear's twirling. This time, when the spear flew out, he was ready to dodge it and managed to destroy the enemy before it shielded again. Beyond it, a flock of dragonfly bombers flew in bearing deadly cargo, and were ripped out of the sky by a few well-aimed tomahawks. The next enemy was a bit more serious, though; a huge, heavily armored mechanoid was patrolling around on two long, spindly legs with flat feet that made up most of its mass. The remainder was an orange head with a single, sky blue eye that had just spotted him. The robot was a familiar sight; it had been one of Wily's favorites in the previous Rebellion. Mega blinked.

"One of those things! Mr. X decided to reuse them, I see…" He blinked as the frontal turret activated, but unlike in the Fifth, it didn't release laser beams. Instead, plasma bullets sprayed out. "Huh! Modified it a little… lucky me, to be less effective. Chumps." As before, charged shots to the crystalline eye destroyed the operator and shut it down. Looking inside the cockpit, Mega discovered that it was… a Metool. He stared at it for a moment, then slapped his face. "Modified for autopilot, right… and a stupid joke. Ugh." Shaking his head, he continued on to a pair of staircases. One led up, and one down. "Huh… the path fork already? That was fast…" After a moment of thought, he decided to go downward. The stairs led to the actual hot springs of the resort, pools of water set in rock. Even this was filled with enemies; cannon turrets fired and robotic fish lunged, but neither were able to do more than scratch him. At the back of the last room, another spear-man stood as the last bodyguard before Yamato Man's metal shutter. Unlike the first one, this robot was unable to hit Mega Man even once, and after he went down, the hero walked on in.

"Mega Man." Yamato Man turned around to greet him the moment he entered. "I've been waiting for you."

"Hiya." The Blue Bomber grunted in response. "You certainly didn't put much effort into setting up your defenses here."

"That would only make it a longer wait until you came here to challenge me." Yamato Man shrugged, grabbing his spear off of a rack set in the wall. "It was extremely doubtful that stupid robots like those would seriously pose any actual chance of killing you, so I didn't waste my time too much with them."

"Funny… thought you said you had had a lot of time on your hands just a moment ago." Mega shook his head in amused contempt. "First Tomahawk Man gets careless because he's so cocky… and now you get even moreso just because you want to fight me yourself. What is wrong with you guys? And here I pegged you and him as two of the MORE dangerous ones. I must be slipping… oh well, at least it's not as much as you guys. Guess amateur talent can only do so much after all." One of Yamato Man's eyes twitched.

"You should wait to make such assumptions until you see what I can really do!" Spinning his spear, he jumped into the air in a high vertical leap, launching three spearhead-shaped energy darts down at Mega in a spread. Sliding away from one only took him straight into the path of another, piercing his foot. Yamato Man landed and smiled. "Well? How was that?"

"Didn't hurt." Mega shook his head, firing a charged shot. Growling, Yamato Man took it and threw his spear out ahead of him.

"How's THIS, then?" The tip of the spear launched like a rocket, blasting at him and through his already-wounded shoulder. That one caused Mega to yell in pain. "Ha! Not so cocky now, are you?"

"A cheap shot." Mega shook his head, firing again. "That won't be enough to bring me down."

"Heh… you seem to be mistaking me for that blowhard Knight Man." Yamato Man charged, swinging his spearshaft like a staff. "Cheap shots are fine with me… all that matters is winning! You're not the strongest in Japan any longer… that title shall belong to me!"

"Is THAT why you're so fired up about fighting me?" Mega kept up the line of patter, searching his weapons. _Plant Barrier's no good against that kind of attack. Armor looks too heavy for the Blizzard Attack to do much either. That leaves the Silver Tomahawk, or…_ He changed to a grey color. "Because we're from the same country? You want to be the best from Japan?"

"Exactly!" Yamato Man picked up his spearhead and re-attached it. "I was built with a strong sense of national pride… and when he reprogrammed me, my master left it in, knowing it would enhance my fighting spirit against you even further!"

"Your master's a fool, then." Mega Man snorted. "You lack focus. Here… I'll let you try this weapon out, though!"  
"Wind Man's, I'm guessing?" Yamato Man chuckled. "Amusing… let me have it, then!" He charged forward, and Mega launched the attack. "Which one of the idiot's powers have you taken-eh?"

"None, actually." Mega smiled as his buster launched a small pod that formed a tiny whirlwind around itself. "First time the master weapon's turned out to be something the bad guy himself never actually used… weird, but it works!" Yamato Man's legs were caught up in the whirlwind, and he fell forward, but as he did, his spear shot out and pierced Mega Man's side.

"Got you anyways!" He crowed, and Mega fell back, choking.

_Got to use my E-Tank…_ Pulling out the blue canister, he drained it quickly as Yamato Man pulled the spear out, then slid away before he could be stabbed again. _This isn't going too well. I need to turn the tables… let's hope this does it!_

"You're strong, I'll admit… I can see how you got this far." Yamato Man chuckled. "But not enough to destroy-" He screamed as a flying blade tore through him, opening up a deep cut in his side to match Mega's impalement.

"Well, now." The Blue Bomber created another Silver Tomahawk. "Looks like you got careless."

"You…" Hissing, Yamato Man charged again, only to have his spear blocked by the tomahawk held in his enemy's hand.

"Better back off." Mega Man smiled. "Or I'll chop that thing in two."

"Damn you!" Yamato Man jumped back, firing his three-way energy shot again. This time, however, Mega Man simply stepped between the paths of the attack before throwing another tomahawk that sliced into Yamato Man's arm.

"That won't work either." The Blue Bomber shook his head. "And before you even try it, your last attack's even more useless. Try it, and you'll lose right away."

"SHUT UP!" Screaming, Yamato Man launched the spearhead, and it buried itself deep in the Blue Bomber's left arm. "Ha! Couldn't dodge that, you-" He choked as the next tomahawk hit his arm again, in the exact same place, sending it flying off entirely.

"Not enough." Mega Man shook his head. "It will NEVER be enough. Not from you."

"I'm… not through yet!" Yamato Man grabbed his spear pole in his remaining arm. "I'll finish you…" He trailed off as Mega bent down and picked up the spearhead lying on the ground.

"Without this?" Mega Man smiled grimly. "Stupid… letting your weapon go like that. Maybe an ordinary Robot Master would be too dumb to pick up on that… but I'm far from ordinary. Let's see you fight without this."

"I…" Yamato Man could only sputter before charging, waving his spearshaft. Stepping to the side, Mega beheaded the fool with one final swing of a tomahawk. Searching the body turned up nothing, even when he checked the severed arm. "Damn… wrong again. Is Blues…" In reply, he heard a familiar tune whistled, though his brother didn't show himself. "…Heh. Guess that answers that. At least the real idiot will be disappointed not to get his shot at me. Might as well head back, I guess."

----------------------------

"Welcome back, Dr. Cossack." Pharaoh Man greeted the doctor and his daughter as they opened the door of their hotel room. "I assume that today's labors were successful?"

"As much as usual, I suppose." Dr. Cossack shrugged. "Another day, another device. You know how it goes."

"That's not exactly true, father." Kalinka protested. "There was that problem with the circuit plates, remember? I wouldn't call that 'successful' by any means."

"Just a temporary setback." Cossack shrugged. "It happens in this career. We shall overcome it. Besides, there's still the work we did with Rush. That was certainly successful."

"Well… I suppose." Kalinka sighed. "I guess I'm just grumpy about the circuit plate thing. Probably because none of us spotted it before now… I'd have thought at least one of us would realize there would be a problem with our plan before it actually happened."

"Nobody's perfect. We should probably turn in now." Cossack yawned. "As usual, we have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow. No problems, Phare?"

"Just the normal altercation with the cleaning staff." Pharaoh Man sighed mechanically. "I do wish they would get used to having a Robot Master answer the door and wait around while they worked."

"Give them a break, Phare." Kalinka teased him. "I'm still not entirely used to it, and I LIVE with you."

"If I was capable of feeling insulted by that, I probably would be." Pharaoh Man replied with just the barest flicker of sarcasm.

"Well, too bad you're not, then, huh? Night, dad." Smiling, Kalinka walked into her bedroom. As soon as she had closed the door, her ears perked up as the first part of a familiar tune was whistled from her window. Though nobody was in sight, Kalinka walked over and answered back with the rest of the tune. After a moment, in a blur of red and grey, Proto Man fell past the window, completely failing to even grasp a handhold. Fortunately, a tree broke his fall. Several times. Kalinka winced as she heard the final thud of his impact with the ground.

"I'm… okay…" Proto Man called up after a few seconds.

"Shall I come down?" Kalinka replied.

"Naw… I can climb this thing." A few moments later, the shades-clad Robot Master jumped from the treetop into her room, covered in twigs and scuff marks. "Oww… before you start worrying, I totally deserved that. My fault for trying to show off and dangle down from the upper windowsill upside down by my feet. Forgot how heavy the metal I'm made of is for a moment."

"It seems easy to forget to me." Kalinka smiled.

"Flatterer." Proto Man chuckled. "Anyways, my pratfalls aside. How have you been doing, Kalinka? Still helping my family out, I see."

"Yup." The Russian girl nodded. "Anything I can do. Even Roll knows more about robotics than I do, but I can at least go with her to get food and bring the doctors tools and materials."

"Hey, it all adds up in the end." Proto shrugged. "I'm glad you're still at it… I know that, most of the time, robots aren't exactly your favorite thing to be working with a lot."

"It helps your brother… and by extension, that helps you." Kalinka explained with a small smile. "That's all that I need to give it my all."

"Heh… I suppose that works." Proto Man smiled back. "If you see him tomorrow when he's awake, by the way, go ahead and tell him I waxed the real Yamato Man. He busted the circuit plate, of course, but we knew that would happen sometimes. I've been trying to hack into the computer systems of at least one enemy territory to pinpoint the real deal, but so far no luck with that."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually." Kalinka assured him. "You can do anything if you really set your mind to it, Blues."

"If only it were that easy." Proto Man sighed. "No luck on finding the big bad boss's headquarters either. No matter how hard I look, I find nada. All I've got is another Skull Fortress, but it was totally inactive… I was able to stroll through there like I owned the place, and there wasn't a single robot there to stop me. It didn't even have any power. Near as I can tell, it was Wily's latest backup contingency, but Mr. X capped him before he actually used it."

"He deserved it." Kalinka muttered darkly. "No… it looked like it was too quick. He deserved to suffer."

"Well… I can't exactly disagree with you on that." Proto Man shook his head. "Mr. X seems to be just as bad, though… at least he does right now at the moment, anyways."

"True." Kalinka admitted. "I still find that hard to believe… I know I only met him a few times, but he always seemed like such a nice man. For him to have actually been like this the whole time… it just doesn't seem right to me. And Wily… I just can't believe that monster would go down that easily, after everything he's survived so far through the other Rebellions."

"So you don't believe it, huh…" Proto Man raised an eyebrow, unseen behind the massively oversized shades. "You figure it's just Wily playing games one more time, just like before?"

"Yeah." The Russian girl confirmed. "I do. What about you, Blues? Do you think so?"

"I'm reserving judgment, to be honest." Proto Man explained, glancing out the window. "There still aren't enough facts for me to be absolutely certain… the fact that he took Wily's corpse with him when he left is the biggest pain. If we had gotten that, we would have known for sure… which is of course why he took it. Even if it is X, he doubtlessly enjoys our squirming on the subject. I suppose we'll find out in the end… and it doesn't really surprise me that you're skeptical about this. After all, you never believed it was me last time."

"That was an entirely different matter, and you know it, Blues." Kalinka chided him.

"I'm just joking, Kalinka." The red-armored Robot Master assured her. "Believe me, I wouldn't forget something like that." He sighed. "I'm sorry this had to happen now… we haven't really gotten the chance to go out together. I wanted to show you around, but with this Rebellion going on…"

"I understand." She smiled. "I know, your duty comes first. I've always understood that. When this Rebellion is done with, I'm sure we can talk father into an extended stay… we can spend some time together then."

"Count on it." Proto Man grinned, and Kalinka nodded.

"I will. Always. My only wish is that I could see you more… I miss you, just like I do when I'm back at the castle and you're off wandering. But I know that it's your way… your path to walk… and it's one of the things I like about you the most. I'll always wait for you, Blues… no matter how long it is. I understand."

"Yeah… you always did." Proto Man agreed quietly. "That's one of the reasons we get along so well. Thanks, Kalinka… for understanding. And for my part… I'll always come back to you."

"Miss Kalinka? Are you preparing for bed?" Pharaoh Man inquired, a little too loudly.

"Whoops, chaperone's here." Proto Man winked. "Better beat it before I'm busted. I'll see you around."

"Right… good luck." Kalinka waved as he backflipped out the window, this time managing to land on the tree branches securely. Whistling once more, he disappeared into the foliage.


	10. Chapter 9: Oil Crisis

**_Chapter 9: Oil Crisis_**

In a pleasant neighborhood of Tokyo, Japan, the sun was rising. Yawning, people emerged from their houses to pick up their newspapers. Most of them, anyways. From one, there was nothing… and then the house practically shook with the repeated screams of "IDIOT" from within, causing the other denizens of the neighborhood to shake their heads and go back inside for more coffee.

"Augh! I'm sorry for putting my life on the line to save humanity from hordes of killer robots, Roll!" Mega Man cried, dodging behind a table. "I'm sorry for being one of the few people in existence who could bring down Yamato Man! I'm sorry that he was good enough to actually hit me!"

"You know very well that's not exactly what I'm angry about, bro." Roll sighed and dropped the chair she had been waving around while yelling. "Impaled, Rock. You were IMPALED this time. Sheesh. You are just so lucky that he didn't hit anything vital, or you wouldn't have made it back here this time at ALL. That could have been it for you right then and there."

"You don't think I don't know that?" Mega stood up. "I do… but it's necessary, Roll. And getting angry with me about it doesn't change that."

"I know." Roll covered her eyes. "I just… I worry. Sorry, bro. I've been trying not to get so worked up this Rebellion… and I'll try to keep that up. This one just got to me. That's all. Of course, it would help if Blues would check in once in a while!" She growled. "We've got no idea what shape he's in at ALL aside from seeing the enemy territories going down even when you miss the real target. He said he'd come back if he was in trouble, but so far, nothing!"

"I'd take that as a good sign, sis." The Blue Bomber suggested. "Blues does stick to his word… which means if he hasn't come back yet, he doesn't need major repairs. He's doing fine."

"Yeah, probably." Roll conceded, smiling. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Mega Man looked around the otherwise-empty lab. "Hm… woke up early today. The Cossacks not here yet?"

"Nope. Dad's not even awake yet." The robotic girl's smile changed into a wry smirk. "Actually, I probably woke him up with my yelling. Rush and Eddie, too… heck, I wouldn't be surprised if even Beat stirred a little."

"The volume WAS impressive." Mega chuckled. "Speaking of Beat. How are things going with him? What with the circuit plates I've been bringing in and the ones you guys have been making, he's got to be almost ready to go, right?" He blinked as Roll's face fell. "What's wrong? Is something up with those circuit plates?"

"Something… yeah." Roll shook her head. "Not so much an error as… something wrong with our entire game plan in regards to them. The worst thing about it is, none of us saw it coming until now… it should have been obvious right from the start, but we were completely blind to it until yesterday. Talk about a bonehead mistake… and we're supposed to be intelligent robots and robotics geniuses. I couldn't decide whether to laugh hysterically or break something."

"Roll." Mega held up a hand. "You're telling me all about how bad it is, but not WHAT it is. What's the problem?"

"Okay." Roll sighed. "You know how we're doing this. You bring back as many Plates as possible, while we replicate them here. The idea being that we replace the ones that get destroyed when you pick the wrong one." Mega nodded. "The problem is, though… like I said, they're destroyed. And we're making them in advance, too. So how do we know WHICH ones to make?" Mega blinked, then groaned.

"Oh, NO. You found this out yesterday. Are you saying…"

"Yeah. The circuit plate you brought back from Wind Man's turned out to be a duplicate of one we had already recreated." Roll confirmed grimly. "So we've only got five, instead of six like we figured… and any one of those others that you bring back could also turn out to be one we've already made."

"That's a downer." The Blue Bomber glanced over in the direction of their father's bedroom. "How'd dad take it?"

"See that dent in the wall?" Roll pointed. "For once, that wasn't one of us. Remind me to ask him why he keeps a PICKAXE in this lab, of all things." Mega winced. "Yeah. After that, he chucked the thing out the window in disgust and decided we'd stop the circuit plates altogether and focus on Rush's other upgrade for the next couple days until it was done. At least with THAT, there's no real way for us to bungle it horribly that we can see."

"Point." Mega agreed. "So how long until it's ready? I'm guessing it's not completed now." The robot girl shook her head.

"Yeah… no way we're letting the guys pull another all-nighter like they did on the Jet Armor. Another day should do it, though… it'll be ready by the time you get back after today's mission."

"That should work just fine." Mega Man nodded. "Jet Armor's still working great, by the way. I'd still prefer the Rush Jet, but since that one's unavailable… ah well. We cope."

"Yeah, we do." Roll nodded. "So, who's the next one? Only three left now… which means according to the usual pattern, most or all of them will cause you to come back in bad shape."

"Very funny. Well, Knight and Centaur look like real pieces of work… Flame Man, not so much." Mega explained. "So I figure I'll take him out now. Give you a break after the shape I came back from Yamato Man in."

"Just don't get cocky with him, or you'll be doing just the opposite." Roll warned. "Even if he's not as bad as the other two, it's never a good idea to get careless. Come back here the same way you did last night, and I WILL bash you over the head when you wake up this time."

"Warning noted." Mega Man rubbed his head. "I'll do everything I can to avoid that, believe me. One of these days I'm going to think back and count all the injuries YOU'VE given me… if I add them all up, there's a fair chance the total will exceed any other Robot Master I've fought."

"You're about as funny as finding Eddie in my closet covered with unidentifiable goo." Roll scoffed. "Get going, bro."

"Yes, MA'AM." Saluting, Mega Man teleported away, and Roll turned to a worktable, shaking her head.

"Suppose I'd better finish organizing last night's mess, then."

----------------------------

"Shut up." Mega Man remarked before Mr. X could even begin to ramble. Ignoring him, the old man delivered his customary announcement, which Mega ignored right back. "Hm… yeah, this is an abandoned oil facility all right. Wonder why they cleared out… looks like there was still plenty to be had here. They even left some of it lying around." The Blue Bomber shook his head at the sloppiness. "Who knows. Maybe it was WW3 again… there are plenty of places humans can't go any more because of that." Straight in his path, several wide trenches in the floor were ankle-deep in oil. Carefully looking around for robots that used flames and seeing none, Mega started across. More hard-hat Metools were patrolling instead, and Mega made sure to destroy each one the moment it saw him, before it could fire. He wasn't sure if the plasma shots fired by them would ignite the oil, but he didn't want to find out. Unfortunately, a far more certain threat was soon to come; halfway across the room, Mega glanced behind him and saw a flying robot coming silently behind him, dropping small fireballs into the oil pits he had passed. Each one was now a blazing conflagration. Snarling, the Blue Bomber blew it away, then whirled around to stare in front of him as he realized what it was-a distraction. Two more were now advancing from the far end. He quickly fired, but not fast enough; one of them dropped a flame into the furthest oil pit, igniting it.

"Damn… oh well, at least I have my Jet Armor." Reaching the other side, Mega rocketed across to climb up a ladder, destroying a couple wall-mounted cannons as he went. On the next floor, he found a flat, disk-shaped robot with a hatch on its top waiting for him. "This doesn't look good…" The hatch opened, lobbing out a plasma shot. "Huh. That's all?" Firing back, however, produced an unusual effect; instead of being destroyed, the robot flew back, flipping upside down. A cushion popped out of the hatch… and promptly exploded as it touched ground again, along with the rest of the machine. "That… seemed unnecessary. Gods, I hope this one's not another Top Man…" The mystery was solved when Mega reached another oil pit; another one of the robots, when sent into it, floated gently on the oil. Its bottom-now the top-was completely flat.

"Great. More GAMES. Am I supposed to ride this thing? Is it supposed to be fireproof? I think I'll keep my Jet Armor on just in case." Strangely enough, the first trip across an oil pit progressed without incident; no fire-droppers flew in on him. While he was crossing the next, however, the enemies attacked, and again he was unable to stop them from setting the oil aflame. The moment it burned, Mega Man jumped, ready to jet if need be. Somehow, though, his ride remained up, just as comfortable on fire as it was on oil. "Huh. So I'm okay on the fire now… as long as I stay on this thing." Fortunately, he was able to make it to the other side without being knocked off, and continued further into the facility's heart. Heading down, he entered an underground tunnel, where the pits of oil were already seas of flame, set afire by humanoids who tossed fire from their heads. The platforms leading across the burning oil went in two paths, each ending in a shuttered door. "Hrm… well, got to decide sometime." Choosing one, Mega journeyed down that path, destroying everything that stood in his way until he reached his goal. Walking through the shutters, he immediately snarled "Shut up," once again.

"Excuse me?" Flame Man raised an eyebrow as he entered, dramatically as the others, and Mr. X continued his tirade regardless.

"Not you." The Blue Bomber explained. "Your boss. One gets a little tired of hearing him spew the same garbage over and over again."

"I see." Flame Man nodded. "Well, I'm afraid I can't really offer an objective opinion on that. You know how it goes."

"Yeah yeah." Mega Man sighed. "Well, we might as well get this over with. Shall we?"

"As you wish. You don't seem to be wounded from your jaunt through my territory… I hope you don't think that means I'll be a pushover!" Raising his arm cannon, Flame Man began launching fireballs.

"A pushover, no… not quite." Mega Man smiled slightly. "But at this point, chances are it's just a matter of finding the right weapon." Drawing the Yamato Spear, he watched as a high-speed spearhead was launched at the foe. Flame Man watched it too, slamming his cannon into the ground; a moment later, a wall of flames erupted, blocking the spear's bath and dropping it. Mega Man scrambled back as a second wall came from beneath his feet, leaving him with singed boots.

"Not going to be quite that easy." Flame Man informed him, switching back to fireballs as Mega scrambled to his feet. "It's hardly a guarantee that you HAVE to have a weapon that will easily topple me, even this late in the game. You should know better than to assume that."

"I know… but the odds are still in favor of it." Mega Man dodged the fireballs easily. "I was just testing out my new weapon anyways… figures it didn't work. Same with the Tomahawk, most likely… plain steel just won't get through your firewall. The Plant Barrier's out of the question, of course… any idiot can tell that flowers against fire is a bad idea. No… you look like you'll need something else elemental to bring you down."

"You sure like to talk." Flame Man commented. "Fortunately, I like to listen. Go ahead, then… try something else."

"All right. I figure I've got two options left… here's the first." Mega launched the Blizzard Attack, and the firewall came back up. For a moment it looked like it would work, but the snowflake shuriken were melting even as they emerged from the other side, and within moments they fell to earth as a wet splat. On the plus side, this time Mega was able to avoid the second firewall that came from beneath him.

"Not nearly cold enough to reach me, I'm afraid." Flame Man shook his head. "Nice try, though."

"Eh, it was worth a shot." Mega shrugged, dodging fireballs again. "It worked with Ice Man and Fire Man. That just leaves this, then…" Switching to his last weapon, he unleashed the Wind Storm. Spinning across the ground, the miniature tornado hit a firewall, but this time the barrier went down, blown out like a candle by the high winds created. Continuing on, the Wind Storm slammed into Flame Man, flinging him away into a wall, which he bounced off and slammed into the floor. "Looks like that's the one, all right."

"Ow…" Flame Man pried himself up and glared at his enemy. "This isn't over yet…"

"Maybe not quite… but the odds are even more in my favor now." Mega Man fired again. "We can play it out all the way to the end if you want, which I'm sure you will… but unless you've got something else, this IS already over. All that's left is the cleanup." As he had predicted, four Wind Storms later, Flame Man stopped getting up. Examining his body showed that Mega's choice had been correct once more; the Circuit Plate was his. "Got it… I just hope they haven't rebuilt this one already too. Back home I go, then."

----------------------------

"Hmph… looks like it's time. No sense in missing it… I've spent enough time out of there already." Darwin Vinkus muttered to himself as he heard the grandfather clock in his home ring out noon. "Ill-health or no ill-health, without me in there Edmund has to hold all of their leashes by himself. If I don't get back in there to help him soon he'll go off the deep end-especially with a Rebellion going on." Chuckling, Vinkus got to his feet and walked to the one room in his house he hadn't entered since his injuries; the largest one in the building, a huge meeting hall filled with desks, each bearing the flag of a different country. It seemed empty at first, but as soon as Vinkus flipped a switch on the wall near the door, half of the desks were occupied by men and women of all nationalities, all of them familiar faces. A haggard-looking older man with a long mane of snow-white hair, seated behind the flag of the United States, smiled in relief as he saw Vinkus.

"Ah, Councilor Vinkus. So glad you could rejoin us. Welcome back to the Presiding Council of the United Nations." In years past, UN Councilors had all been forced to remain in the same physical location in order to convene; now, though, modern technology offered an alternative. Each member of the Council had an identical meeting room built into their house that, when active, transmitted a realtime hologram of their actions into the rooms of all the other Councilors. Taking a seat behind his desk bearing the flag of Japan, Vinkus smiled as well.

"Good to be back, Councilor Martel." Currently the presiding member, Edmund Martel was Vinkus' most respected rival on the Council; their violent opposition on most political matters, particularly trust in robotics and Robot Masters, was tempered by their knowledge of the other being the only Council member who could be counted on to keep his head and help restrain the others during a crisis. One by one, the other Councilors filed in and took their seats. "Councilor Arcian! Might I have a word with you and a few of the others later, after today's meeting?" Vinkus' smile turned unpleasant as he hailed France's representative.

"Oh! Uh… of course, Councilor Vinkus." Louis Arcian cringed a bit as he nodded. Though he was Vinkus' political ally in distrust of robotics, the Frenchman was more often an aggravation, being even more loudmouthed and dimwitted than most of the Councilors. Those traits had eventually prompted Vinkus to administer a physical reprimand with an oak cane after the Fifth Rebellion, causing a fear of the older man in Arcian that had lingered ever since.

"Ahem… well, it looks like we're all here. This meeting of the Presiding Council on the United Nations will now commence. Edmund Martel presiding." Martel announced. "First off, let us all welcome Councilor Vinkus back to our number, returning to us after his extended stay in the hospital. I'm sure we're all glad to see him returning to us in good health." The other Councilors chimed in with similar comments, some of which might have almost been heartfelt.

"Thank you all." Vinkus smiled graciously.

"Next up…" Martel sighed. "There is, once again, the matter of the latest Robot Rebellion to deal with… to be specific, of the Light Family's treatment of the crisis, Mega Man in particular."

"There is some issue with the Light Family over this?" Vinkus raised an eyebrow. "This is the first I've heard of this… of course, that's hardly surprising considering my absence from this Council. Regardless, if I might have a few details…?"

"I'm sure you remember the previous Rebellion… the Fifth. Due to the unique nature of that incident, Mega Man agreed to place himself under our command and direction for the duration of the crisis." Elizabeth Coombe, the British representative, explained. "So far, however, he and his family have neglected to do so during the Sixth; indeed, we have yet to see Mega Man at all. Conveniently, he has arranged to be out fighting the next enemy every time we call the house." A faint smile played around Coombe's lips. "And yet, his progress is as efficient as ever; five of the Robot Masters have fallen so far, and I believe he should be dealing with a sixth even now as we speak here."

"Very well." Vinkus nodded. "I fail to see why this would be an issue of argument, though."

"It's an insult, is what it is." Arcian snapped. "The robots and their creator are blatantly ignoring our authority. We are the United Nations council, after all… should we allow them to just keep on disrespecting us?"

"I don't think it's a matter of disrespect so much as maintaining a professional approach." Coombe retorted. "As I've told you before, Councilor Arcian, before the events of the Fifth, Mega Man and the Light family dealt with the Rebellions in their own way successfully without us steering them. Our direction was not needed then; why would it be needed now?"

"It's not a question of whether it's needed." Salguerdo from Brazil chimed in. "It's a matter of propriety… of what's right and proper for us, and our position. After they agreed to obey our directives in the Fifth, it would be a sign of weakness if we were to let this pass."

"I'm afraid I have to disagree." Vinkus shook his head. "The Light family, all of them, have always held the utmost respect for the United Nations. They simply know what they are doing, and would prefer to remain with the methods they have established as working… relying on their own intuition. Mr. X seems to be treating this as some sort of show or game this time… a farce. There's no real need for us to step in… and if we forced it, wouldn't that show the public that we didn't trust the Lights to manage by themselves? Not at all what we want. Mega Man is a powerful icon… he's the only thing preventing widespread panic. If it's a choice between appearing weak ourselves, or making HIM appear so, then the choice is clear… we have our duties and responsibilities, to the countries we represent and the Earth as a whole."

"Well said, Councilor Vinkus." Martel nodded. "I think that says it all, really… is there still anybody who disagrees?" Some of the anti-robotics representatives were glaring at Vinkus, but none of them spoke. "Very well then, onto the next subject."

_Another potential crisis averted,_ Vinkus thought to himself. _You've still got it, old man… but for how long? Every day I have to listen to these fools babble grates on my nerves… even the period of relief my injuries granted me was not nearly long enough to give me any sort of tolerance for this rubbish. At least I managed to protect Thomas and his family… hopefully, I will not need to do so again any time soon. If these idiots stop going after them… then perhaps I will not be needed on here any more after all. We'll see… I just hope I can convince the others of the merits of what I'm considering…_ He glanced around the room, eyes narrowed behind his spectacles, looking at his fellow Councilors… in particular, those strongly adverse to robotics. _Arcian, Salguerdo, and Romeza… those are the ones I'll need to convince. Arcian will be easy… the fool would jump off a bridge if I told him to now. Romeza, not so much, but he's got some brains at least, so he should be able to see the logic. Salguerdo will be the toughest… he'll be irritated with me after today. Maybe I shouldn't have been so quick to leap to the Lights' defense… no. No, Mega Man must be allowed to continue as he is now… we can't jeopardize that in any way. It'll be tough, but I should be able to convince Salguerdo as well… and if I have those three on my side, the others will fall in as well. Then… well, we'll see indeed… _


	11. Chapter 10: The Blue Knight

**_Chapter 10: The Blue Knight_**

"_I hold no personal grudge against you, believe me. We are simply at cross purposes. If neither of us will back down, then we must battle to the death, and the stronger of us shall prevail. Let's see what you've got, kid… I've been waiting for this." -NetNavi Protoman.exe_

"Hmph… Flame Man has fallen as well, then." Mr. X grumbled, looking at the box of static where the Arabian Robot Master's mug shot had once occupied a portion of his master computer screen, side by side with five others. "Only Centaur Man and Knight Man remain… it seems this Rebellion, like all the others before it, begins to go south." The billionaire sighed bitterly. "It never fails. Oh well… at least I've planned ahead. Computer, what is the status of this Fortress?"

"Fortress currently running at 100 efficiency." The computer reported. "There are no issues with the security robots, nor are they are any intrusion attempts recorded." Mr. X nodded.

"Good, good. And…?"

"There is nothing of note to report there either." The computer replied after a moment. "Shall I activate-"

"No, no, not yet." Mr. X shook his head. "That will be all." Sighing, the old man left his office and walked down to his workshop, returning to his current project, as he always did when bored. "Hm… still should be a ways to go before you're active. Oh well, I've got time." Settling down in front of him, Mr. X began poking around with the wires. "At least I've got your power source fully installed… that was a pain, let me tell you. Should be worth it in the long run, though… to be honest, I created it by complete accident. I was just clowning around with some unstable materials one day, and poof, I had an energy source even more powerful than those Energen Crystals. Pity I only made enough for one or two robots… if I could only remember how it was exactly I created it…" The old man shuddered at the explosions that had been caused by his attempts to repeat the accidental stroke of genius. "Some of it is better than none, though. Be proud of yourself, my boy… of all my creations, you are the one chosen to receive this boon. This power source, this…" He paused. "Hm. A name. I need a name for the stuff… something fitting, something with panache… bah, I can't think of it at the moment. I'll do that later, after I've calmed my nerves here for an hour or two." He continued to work on the wiring. "Ah well, the name isn't THAT important… what's important is the power. Power you shall have in spades… and skill as well, in time. Yes, my boy… you WILL be strong…" As he connected one wire, something glinted in the robot's eyes. "Yes indeed… strong. Stronger than any before you… stronger even than that damned Mega Man… heh heh heh heh heh…"

"Heh heh heh heh heh…"

"Heh ha ha ha ha!"

"Heh ha ha ha ha!"

"AHA HA HA HA-EH!" Mr. X suddenly recognized the echo of his cackling, and jumped so hard that his sunglasses flew off of his face. The robot… the Robot Master that should still be incomplete… was laughing along with him, echoing the frenzied grin that had adorned his face perfectly. At least, it had until his reaction… now, its face twisted in concern.

"Is something… wrong?"

"Yes-I mean, no, no. Nothing's wrong." Mr. X corrected himself hastily, wiping some sweat from his brow. "I just… didn't expect you to be up so soon, that's all. No, don't try to move around yet… your skin still isn't completely on, you'll fall all to pieces if you try to stand up."

"I… see." The Robot Master frowned. "My awakening, then… it was an accident?" Mr. X winced.

"No, of course not, foo-uh, lad. I spent far too much time on you for just an accident… no, I was just hoping to have you in a more stable condition for your awakening. You're incredibly valuable to me, and I want you to be in the best condition possible." Slowly, the Robot Master smiled.

"Then… you are my creator."

"Indeed." Mr. X nodded proudly. "Logic capabilities are completely functional… excellent."

"My… father?" The robot wondered. For a moment, the smile on Mr. X's face grew strained.

"If you… wish to refer to me as such, I suppose so, yes." He shrugged. "Terms are unimportant. What's important is facts. Let's get that established right off." He straightened up and stared straight into the robot's eyes. "What is the First Law?"

"I must never harm you, or through inaction cause harm to come to you." The robot replied firmly.

"Beautiful." Mr. X smiled again. "And the Second Law?"

"I must obey all of your commands unless doing so comes into conflict with the First Law." The robot stated again.

"Good, good…" Mr. X patted him on his still-open head. "You're a good boy… now, the Third Law?"

"I must act to preserve my existence unless doing so comes into conflict with the First or… the Second Law." The robot finished. Mr. X frowned; had he detected a bit of hesitation there? No, he was just imagining it.

"Excellent… you got them all right." He nodded. "Well then, my boy… you'll want to sleep now. No, don't worry, it'll be fine; I just want to finish patching you up. You'll be as right as rain in no time."  
"As you wish… father." The robot nodded. He started to close his eyes, then paused. "Father… what is my name?"

"Your name, eh?" Mr. X thought about that. "Yes, I suppose I do owe you that much before you go back to sleep. A name… it should be something that goes with your special energy source, so I might as well think of that now too…"

"Energy source?" The robot frowned.

"Yes… something unique to you, and perhaps a friend or two, that no other robot in the world has. Something that makes you more powerful than any other." Mr. X smiled. "Never forget that… no matter what happens, never forget. You are POWERFUL. Now, as to your name…" He thought for a few moments more. "Aha! I've got it! Fits the theme, too. You shall be called…"

----------------------------

Mega Man was in a foul mood as he teleported onto the roof of the ancient castle that Knight Man had taken for his own. As soon as he had dropped through a hole into the interior of the fortress, he whistled for Rush. "Right… let's see what this other upgrade can do. Rush, Power Armor mode!" Barking happily, Rush transformed into a suit of torso armor like with the previous upgrade; this time, though, instead of a box on the back, most of the armor was adding mass to his shoulders and fists. "I must look like a linebacker. Might as well try it out…" As an enemy robot blasted towards him, the Blue Bomber struck with his fist, and an energy bolt flew out, completely obliterating the hapless robot. "Hm… well enough, I suppose… wait, it looks like this can be charged, too. Might as well…" The charged attack turned out to engulf his fist in blazing energy; when he actually struck his next enemy with it, it erupted in a blast that not only disintegrated the robot but left a crater in the floor as well. "NOW we're talking. Even if I can't slide in these thing, it should be perfect for letting off some stress."

The Blue Bomber's excitement upon discovering his newest Rush Armor had been short-lived. Inspecting of the circuit plate he had brought back from Flame Man, Dr. Light had pronounced it identical to one they had replicated, like Wind Man's. With three Circuit Plates left, it seemed doubtful that Beat would be repaired in time for the assault on Mr. X's fortress, let alone before then. Muttering curses upon the madman for disabling his flying friend in the first place, Mega Man rampaged through the fortress like a natural disaster. Even armored foes like the Metools were smashed to bits by the Power Armor's massive fists. Unfortunately, Mega Man proved to be a bit too caught up in his rampage; entering a long hall, he didn't notice the spikes on the ceiling until it was too late and the door behind him had already slammed shut. "Damn, a trap…" Inspecting the floor as he ran, he noticed several low dents that had been carved into it. "Will it stop at those? It better… I'll barely even be able to make it to the first…" Regretfully, he took a half a second to disable the Power Armor, then slid the last few feet into the first trench. Lying flat on his back, he watched the spikes edge close to his face, then at the last moment, shoot back up to the top only to begin the descent again. "Phew… lucked out again. That could have gotten me."

Crossing from one trench to another, Mega Man made it to the opposite side of the hall and continued on, bringing his Power Armor back once the need to slide was past. In particular, it proved useful for destroying an annoying type of robot that hid in an armored barrel while lobbing plasma. Several of these were positioned in another long hall, on a series of narrow platforms stretching over the spike-lined floor (thankfully, that didn't move like the ceiling in the previous hall). Normally, Mega would have had to wait for the robots to peek over the edge of the barrel before firing at their vulnerable heads, but with the Power Armor, he could just demolish them entirely. Feeling a little better with his rage played out, the Blue Bomber climbed up onto the other side of the roof. Unlike the side he had entered on, this area crawled with enemies; however, there was one friendly face.

"Hey, Eddie!" Mega greeted the little brown robot, who was approaching a little hesitantly. "It's okay, I worked my stress out."

"Beep." Looking relieved, Eddie presented him with an E-Tank, which the Blue Bomber gladly pocketed.

"Awesome… I needed another one of these. Either the bad guys have stopped keeping these around altogether, or they're just hiding them better." Nodding in agreement, Eddie departed, and Mega continued onward beneath the clouds of a gathering storm. Disposing of some pesky robots that even his mighty fists needed more than one hit to wreck, Mega dropped down into a third long hall. "This place really is full of these things… well, it IS a castle, so I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised." As he landed, he stumbled a bit and slammed one fist into the wall, causing the room around him to shake. "Whoops… OW!" Something had been dislodged from far above, falling onto his head. Mega's irritation only lasted a moment as he saw what it was. Another E-Tank. "How did… oh well, I'm not complaining!" Pocketing it, he looked at the hall ahead of him. This one was rigged with rubber spheres on both floor and ceiling; despite his efforts, one step sent Mega Man bouncing crazily down between them, totally out of control. This would not have been a problem save for the spiky Gabyool robots that crawled across both surfaces further down the hall. When he reached the other side, Mega was wounded in several spots. "Damnation. Aha, here's the split… at least I think so. Hope it's not just the architecture." The door led to the center of another hall, devoid of anything but the metal shutters at either end. "Nope, those are the shutters… well, might as well pick one. Chances are it won't matter at this rate, anyways…" Disengaging his Power Armor-it was useful against normal enemies, but against a Robot Master the bulk would be suicide-Mega Man walked through the door on the left.

"Welcome." Knight Man bowed courteously to his enemy as the Blue Bomber walked in. "You made good time getting here… my minions were no match for you, it seems."

"Yeah, well, they never are." Mega Man shrugged and bowed back, figuring it didn't hurt. "The rubber hall gave me a few bruises, though. Nasty trick there with the Gabyools."

"I had hoped that one would proved effective." Knight Man admitted. "Not really my style, but my mission IS to destroy you, so when I had the idea I forced aside my feelings."

"You're a smarter robot than some of the others, then, putting the mission first." Mega Man smiled. "Unlucky for me… with that and how well you did in the tournament, I might be in for some trouble here."

"My reputation is nowhere near as impressive as yours, the hero of Five Rebellions." Knight Man's eyes flashed. "Nevertheless, I fully intend to defeat you here and now! Have at you!" The heavy iron mace on his right arm flew out on its chain with surprising speed, and Mega Man was barely able to jump it.

"Whoa… not bad! My turn!" As Knight Man pulled in his mace, the Blue Bomber fired a charged shot. Before it could hit, though, the enemy robot raised the shield on his other arm, deflecting it. "Hm… just like Flame Man did."

"With all respect, his barrier was not as strong as mine." Knight Man pronounced calmly. "Not only is this mighty shield plasma-deflective, it shall withstand your Master Weapons as well. Fire shall not penetrate it, nor frost or wind. Nothing you can do shall be able to bring it down!"

"We'll see." Mega shrugged.

"Confident… good. But futile." Holding his shield out in front of him, Knight Man charged, forcing the Blue Bomber to jump away to the side. As soon as he did, the mace ball flew out again, and he only dodged it by sliding. This time, though, he didn't return fire, and after a moment, Knight Man attacked again, emboldened by his enemy's seeming reticence. The moment he did, though, was the moment in which Mega Man released the charged shot he had been holding. With his right arm extended, Knight Man was unable to raise his shield, and the shot hit him square in the chest.

"I can still hit you while you're attacking." Mega Man informed him. "But it looks like your armor's plenty tough too… so I'd better switch to a Master Weapon as well, even knowing that."

"Whatever you wish to attempt, cur!" Knight Man snarled. "As I warned you already, none of your weapons will help you!"

"Maybe some… but all? Hardly." Mega Man thought over his options as he dodged the mace strikes. _He's probably right about the elemental weapons… I doubt any of them have the power to get through that armor, let alone the shield. The Plant Barrier…_ He allowed half a second's thought as to the force field's result against the Knight Crush and winced. _Definitely out. That just leaves slicing or piercing weapons… let's try the former first._ Bringing out the Silver Tomahawk, he lobbed one at the shield and frowned as it only left a tiny dent. _No good there, but maybe a direct hit…_ The next time the mace came out, he fired the tomahawk again and smiled as it cut into Knight Man, causing the enemy to stumble, jerking his arm. _Good, but is it enough-_"AH!" A searing pain in his right side slammed him to the ground as he realized, too late, that the arm motion on Knight Man's part had been intentional. He had taken his eyes off of the spiked mace ball, and by yanking the chain, the foe had changed its arc, slamming it into hum with brutal force.

"Hmph… you may hit more often than I do, but with my weapon, even one strike leads to severe damage." Knight Man retracted his mace as Mega stood, dripping fluid from the crushed side of his torso. "Had that been your head, victory would be mine instantly… you are strong indeed to be standing at all after that."

"Yeah… I'm tough." Mega Man acknowledged, gritting his teeth from the pain. _No good… I have to take him down quicker than the Tomahawk can do, and I REALLY need to do something about that shield. One weapon left… this had better work._ The Yamato Spear flew straight and true as Knight Man confidently raised his shield once again.

"I told you, nothing-EH?" The armored Robot Master grunted in shock and pain as the spearhead tore through his shield's upper lip and impaled his left shoulder. "But-HOW?"

"Concentrate all the force on a small point… a piercing attack. Looks like it worked." Mega Man smiled. "And with your shoulder like that, you can't raise that shield all the way any more, can you? Ball's in my court again."

"Well played." Knight Man acknowledged after a moment. "Let's finish this, then." Mega Man nodded, then dodged the Knight Crush before firing again, and again, and again. With the shield unable to rise fully, the Yamato Spears slammed into Knight Man's helmet. Finally, one went into the vision slot, right between his eyes. Sighing, the armored Robot Master slumped forward.

"Right… now to check…" It took Mega Man several moments to pry the enemy Robot Master's shield out of his left hand. There was nothing else there, or anywhere else on the body. "Hmph… it was probably another one we've already got anyways. Might as well head back, then…" He winced. "Man, Roll is NOT going to be happy when she sees this. And Knight Man thought he was deadly…" Shaking his head, the Blue Bomber teleported away.

----------------------------

"And there we go." Dr. Light mopped his brow cheerfully. "Another day's work successfully completed, and we're one Circuit Plate closer to Beat's reactivation. Two more to go."

"Let's just hope the one Rock brings back this time isn't another repeat." Roll observed. "Still, you seem to be in a better mood than you were earlier on, dad. Feeling up?"

"My grumpy periods never last long." Dr. Light shrugged. "Really, though, it's because now there's only a 50 chance that the one he brings back this time will be another repeat. Those kinds of odds usually tend to fall in our favor, especially during Rebellions."

"Well, the job's done for today, anyways." Dr. Cossack leaned back. "Would you girls mind getting dinner again?" Kalinka smiled.

"Bento?"

"You just can't get enough of that stuff, can you?" Roll smiled as well. "You old men mind?"

"We'll cope." Dr. Light shrugged.

"Right. I'll drive; let's go!" The two girls ran out of the lab together. Dr. Cossack frowned.

"Are you sure they'll be all right by themselves?"

"They have been every time so far, haven't they?" Dr. Light chuckled. "Don't worry, Sergei; Roll knows what she's doing. She keeps a crowbar under the car's seat… one time when some hoods started acting up, she bent the thing in half for them. Scared them off REAL quick. Kalinka will be safe." He glanced out the window as the truck drove off. "Now that they're gone… we can talk about the project I was originally going to ask you to help me with before this Rebellion surfaced." Dr. Cossack raised an eyebrow.

"Oho… a project you don't want the girls knowing about?"

"Or Rock and Blues, either… not just yet, anyways." Dr. Light's smile turned mischievous. "I can't keep up with them most of the time… springing surprises in the lab on them is the only way I can even pretend to break even with all the trouble they cause me. And this one's going to be quite the doozy. I will definitely need your help on it… it's been many years since I've built one of these, but you've done so far more recently." Suspicions began forming in the Russian robotocist's mind at that point about what that could mean.

"Is it… another Robot Master" Cossack asked after a moment.

"Very good, Sergei. Yes, it's going to be a Robot Master." Dr. Light congratulated him. "But not just an ordinary one… oh no. This will be another of the rare breed known as the Advanced Robot Master. To Blues, Rock and Roll… it will be another brother."

"To you… another son." Dr. Cossack followed quietly.

"Yes." The elderly robotocist agreed. "Another son… so you can see how important this is to me. It's been more than ten years now… I believe it's about time for this."

"I'll be glad to help you then, my friend." Dr. Cossack promised. "What did you have in mind for this one?"

"I want him to be different from the others in some ways." Dr. Light explained, sitting down at a workbench. "For one, Blues, Rock and Roll have all, in their base forms, looked perfectly human… but that is hardly necessary for the Advanced breed. Despite his madness, Albert's creation Doc Man was definitely Advanced, but his body was clearly inhuman. I want this one to be like that… visibly a robot at all times. The others look human, so some people might think that only robots who look like that can be intelligent… this one will prove differently."

"I suppose that makes sense." Dr. Cossack agreed after a moment. "How else will he be different?"

"It… has been years since I built any Robot Masters." The older man explained after a moment. "This one will have a few new designs, some systems upgrades, that I hadn't thought of at the time. It will be a slight risk, but I feel confident that it will all work out."

"Testing these new ideas, then." Dr. Cossack translated. "This one will be a test for something?" This time, it was a few long moments before Dr. Light responded, chuckling again.

"You always did see to the heart of the matter, Sergei. Yes… as pleased as I will be to have another son, to bring another Advanced Robot Master into the world… in some ways, he is only the first step in a process I am contemplating. If the systems I test on him are successful… then I will use those systems, and build off of them, for the project I eventually intend to create after him, years and years in the future. Probably my life's last project. At this moment, it's all theoretical… still in the planning stages. It's quite possible that I will reach the limit of my ability and be unable to cross that barrier. But…" He turned around, smiling. "That is what they said me and Al would do all those years ago, when we were first working on Blues… and we proved them wrong. I'm hoping that this time, my own doubts will be the incorrect ones… that I can do this."

"I think you can." Dr. Cossack assured him. "You can do it, Tom… these past years I've spent as your assistant are amazing. You're the one who created Robot Masters in the first place… if anybody can do this, you can. You WILL."

"Then you'll help me?" Dr. Light asked.

"Of course… with anything, and everything, I can do." Dr. Cossack promised. "Tell me what you think I need to know… ask me what you think I can do… show me what you think I can understand. Those things, and anything else… I will pledge myself to aiding you in this. I will uphold it as long as I live."

"Thank you, my friend." Dr. Light clasped his hand. "As soon as this Rebellion is over, then, we shall begin out work."

"And before long, your newest son shall rise." Dr. Cossack looked out the window. "Do you have a name for him?"

"Indeed I do." Dr. Light nodded. "Indeed I do. It doesn't fit the theme, but… for some reason, it feels right. His name will be Auto, Sergei. And as soon as this Rebellion is finished, we can begin."


	12. Chapter 11: Mythbuster

**_Chapter 11: Mythbuster_**

"_Professionals? Psssh. Let me tell you son, if everybody just left things to the professionals, we'd never get anywhere, human or reploid. Oh sure, a lot of the time amateur talent falls flat on its face. But every so often, it does something special… something that's never been done before at all." -Maverick rebel Andrew_

"Uh… hi, Roll." Mega Man chuckled nervously as he opened his eyes to see his sister standing over him. "Before you say anything, keep in mind that I only got hit once by him."

"That would be the reason I'm not currently holding any POWER tools." Roll informed him with a grin, tapping a wrench against her palm for a few seconds before placing it down. "All right, fine, I won't incapacitate you any more. You'll probably manage to get yourself beat up enough dealing with Centaur Man. You always seem to do that with the last ones."

"That's because I save the toughest-looking for last." Mega Man explained in a mollifying tone as he stood. "Gemini, Pharaoh, Napalm… now Centaur. I want to be able to go at them with a full arsenal."

"And you still come back beat up from them… so that's probably a good call." Roll admitted. "Hate to see what you'd have looked like if you tried taking Napalm Man on with only your Buster."

"That… probably wouldn't end well, yeah." Mega winced. "Well, anyways. Hopefully, something I have will work on Centaur Man." He paused for a moment. "I assume Blues took care of the real Knight Man?"

"Yes, he did." Dr. Light nodded, looking over from his workbench. "We saw it on the-" He paused. "Well, never mind that."

"Wait, wait." Mega frowned. "Never mind WHAT? Saw it on the WHAT? Is this something I should know about?"

"Well… we know how you don't like publicity and all that, so we didn't tell you…" Roll looked away. "You remember what Dark Man did in the Fifth with Stone Man? Taped the fight and then broadcasted it on the airwaves?"

"Yeah." The Blue Bomber blinked. "Wait. Has Mr. X been doing that? With ALL of them?"

"Not just the fights… with the entire runs." Dr. Light explained somberly. "The whole thing, from start to finish… and when you get the ones wrong, he shows Blues fighting too. And he adds commentary… the kind I doubt you'd want to hear. Makes Dark Man look like a pro newsie by comparison."

"Not that that's saying much." Mega Man grunted. "So that's why he's been doing those stupid introduction things. I was wondering why he kept those up even after I stopped paying attention to him." He thought for a moment. "Has the UN been raising a stink about it?"

"Not that we've noticed." Roll shrugged. "They yell when they call, but just about the same old stuff."

"Then I don't really see it as a problem." Mega decided. "As long as the stations don't try to get me for an interview or anything. Let Mr. X put whatever he wants on the screen… it won't change the fact that I'll be putting him down, and that's what's really important, isn't it?"

"True enough." Dr. Light nodded. "Well, I'm glad you're not angry about it. You seemed to enjoy using the Power Armor to take some stress out yesterday at Knight Man's."

"It helped." The Blue Bomber admitted. "Sorry I couldn't bring another Circuit Plate back from Knight Man's."

"It happens." Roll sighed. "Unfortunately, it means our chances of bringing Beat back in action by tomorrow aren't looking very good. We've only got six of the Circuit Plates now…"

"Seven, actually." Dr. Light corrected her. "Remember, Mr. X dropped one at the beginning of all this. We have seven of nine."   
"Duh… I was completely forgetting that one." Roll hit herself in the forehead with her palm. "All right then… we have seven, and we need the other two. We'll rebuild one of them today, of course… but if you want Beat ready to go tomorrow, not only will you have to bring down the real Centaur Man, but the circuit plate he holds will have to be the last one we haven't rebuilt yet… the chances of that aren't very high. Only 25, to be specific."

"Not good odds…" Mega Man shook his head. "But I'll have to try to get it anyways, and hope for the best. Beat would be a huge help when it comes to taking on X's Fortress, wherever it is… he sure was last time, in the Fifth. But I can't take the chance of just waiting around after I beat Centaur Man… whoever it may be, Wily or X, that madman's clearly unstable. I'll need to go to him as soon as I can… if I have to go without Beat because of that, well, then it sucks to be me and I'll just have to deal with it, I guess."

"You think Mr. X… Wily… whoever… will follow last time's trend and just tell you where his fortress is once you take down Centaur Man?" Roll guessed. "It would fit the way he's been treating this…"

"Either that, or Blues will have found out and he'll tell me." Mega guessed. "He hasn't been spending ALL of his time cleaning up after my mistakes, you know… he's been looking for that fortress too. By now, he's GOT to have something on its location. You know him. Blues will come through… he always does when it comes to these matters."

"Yes indeed…" Dr. Light agreed. "Blues is very dependable, despite his need for wandering."

"Exactly." Mega nodded. "He'll have something… I'd bet my life on it. Until then, though, I'd better be off… Centaur Man needs a beat down, and it's my job to see that it's administered."

"Yeah, yeah." Roll waved a hand at him dismissively. "We know. Be off with you, hero man… and try not to come back COMPLETELY trashed. We'll have the eighth Circuit Plate done by the time you return… and we'll hope that you'll be bringing back the ninth."

"Worth a shot, eh… all right, I'll try to get my hands on it, even if the odds are good that it'll be another repeat." Mega Man shrugged. "Sometimes luck works funny at moments like these, anyways. See you when I get back."

----------------------------

"Huh… he's had time to decorate this place, I see." Mega Man observed as he looked around the coastline of Greece where Centaur Man had set up shop. "I'm no archaeology buff, but I'm pretty sure there aren't any column pillars in this area… especially not ones made out of purple and yellow metal." Scores of the artificial structures were poking out of the water, serving no visible purpose. "Maybe there's cameras on there… if Mr. X displayed the previous 'rounds' on the TV, there's no way he'll be missing out on this one." As usual, the Blue Bomber ignored the billionaire's pompous opening and set off on his way. A flock of propeller-flying pelican robots were emerging from a cliffside cavern, heading straight towards him. "That looks like a good spot to head for… eh?" Detecting movement above him, Mega Man stared up straight into a falling jellyfish-robot with metal claws. The enemy grasped his head tightly, and Mega struggled to pull it off. "Stupid piece of…" He broke off as he detected heat increasing from the enemy. "Oh, you lousy-" Switching to his Silver Tomahawk, he sliced the claws off and hurled the robot away from him only moments before it self-destructed in a blast of shrapnel. One white-hot chunk of metal struck Mega on the arm, slicing into his armor. "Great. This is a perfect start. Where the heck did that thing come from, anyways? Did it just fall out of the sky, or…" A quick survey of the area explained it-he was near a high pillar, which the jellyfish bomb had apparently jumped off of. "So now I have to watch out for exploding death raining from the heavens. Super." On the plus side, the pelican-robots weren't much trouble for Mega Man as he headed towards the cave, and now that he had the jellyfish spotted he was able to destroy them before they got near as well. Entering the cavern, he saw that the path led straight into a deep pool… one with metal sides. "Sigh… into the briny deep again for me."

Despite what some would think, the Blue Bomber was fully functional underwater; Dr. Light hadn't missed a beat when programming him. Lake water or ocean, Mega Man could walk through either without a problem. That didn't mean he had to LIKE it, though. Grumbling to himself, Mega dropped down into the underwater tunnel. Metal-jawed fish and wall turrets both attacked, but the real annoyance was the beds of deadly spikes that lined various points across both ceiling and floor. Though never placed to make travel totally impossible, they seemed designed to make it as close as it could be. Which, of course, they were. "Still playing games… if they were serious, they would have put them all the way down like in Skull Fortress III." Mega shook his head. "Of course, if that had happened I'd be out of luck, since Rush Marine is out of commission. So I suppose it's just as well that they didn't." Sighing, he reached the end of the tunnel and dropped even further down… and OUT of the water. "What the heck? How did that… what in the…" Even after everything he had seen in previous Rebellions, Mega Man could not help but stare, completely dumbstruck. ABOVE him, defying gravity in a blatant mockery, a mass of water covered the ceiling, slowly rising and falling as more was pumped in and out by machines. "This… this isn't possible. It's some kind of trick… but what trick could pull this off…" He shook his head. "No, got to keep focused. Think about what's important. Maybe they used some technology from that lab Gravity Man was at in the last Rebellion or something… I don't know, and it doesn't matter. What matters is dealing with THIS Rebellion… and that means going on no matter WHAT they throw at me." Pulling out his Rush Jet Armor, Mega blasted across more spike pits to the end of the bizarre tunnel. Beyond the water, a ladder led up. "Hopefully, away from the insanity…"

It was a long climb up, broken only by a halfway room in which Eddie delivered an energy capsule to refill what he had lost to the jellyfish. Unfortunately, things weren't any better when he emerged at the top of the Cliffside he had headed into-the path ahead went past a pool at the bottom of the waterfall, in which robotic submarines lobbed shots at him. Climbing up the ladders at the side of the waterfall, dodging more falling jellyfish the entire time, Mega reached the top again only to find a giant squid-bot launching missiles at him.

"Okay, change of mind." The Blue Bomber growled as he brought it down. "They're going all-out now. This is getting annoying. Well, looks like it was the last one, at least…" Beyond the squid's remains, a ladder dropped down one level to a metal shutter. A second shutter… was set in the cliff wall eight feet above the first, directly across from Mega's current level. Impossible to get to, unless one had Jet Armor. "Hm… looks like one's deliberately more difficult to access than the other. Question is, is that the right one, or is it a trick…" He thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No, he wants me to worry about it… I'll just pick one." Deciding, he equipped the Jet Armor and flew across to the upper door. Stepping through and dropping the armor, he found himself in an open-roofed arena, like many of the others in this Rebellion. Centaur Man was waiting for him.

"You seem to have run into a spot of trouble." He observed, looking over Mega's injuries. The Blue Bomber shrugged.

"Occupational hazard. Fairly routine. I might as well ask before we really get going… got the circuit plate?"

"Hm… this is the first time you've asked one of us that instead of just checking after the fight." Centaur Man smiled knowingly. "Perhaps you wish to know it more now than you did than… perhaps this one is important? Maybe even key? To the timing of something else… no, I don't think I'll be telling you this that easily. Maybe after you beat me, you'll find out. Until then…" Rearing up on his hind legs, the quadrapedal Robot Master struck a dramatic pose and charged, all four legs thundering. Assessing the enemy robot's height, Mega decided against hurdling unless it was truly necessary; instead, he slid out of the way while throwing out a charged shot to start things off. Flinching ever-so-slightly, Centaur Man changed his course, veering to the side in front of Mega Man and pointing his buster arm out. "Say cheese." A bright flash of light blinded the Blue Bomber momentarily, and Centaur Man rushed forward, trampling him. Grunting in pain, Mega Man fell, but still managed to fire a charged shot upward as his enemy passed. Centaur Man grunted, but kept going, then turned to face him again as he rose, raising an eyebrow. "Hm. You're quite tough."

"Same… to you." Mega Man admitted. "Let's try something else… I suppose I should have known the Mega Buster alone wouldn't cut it."

"Indeed you should." Centaur Man agreed, rushing forward again. "How many times has the final Robot Master of a Rebellion been defeated by your Mega Buster alone? None. You should have known that before you even came here, fool!" As he slid away, Mega Man fired a shot of the Flame Cannon, aiming not at Centaur Man himself but right to his side, where he was already turning to intercept again. A pillar of fire rose in front of Centaur Man's face, and he recoiled slightly before charging forward, rushing through it and ignoring the pain as he froze Mega Man in his tracks with another burst of light and crushed him again. "Unfortunately, that alone won't be enough! Even among the most challenging opponents of previous Rebellions, you've never met one quite like me!" Ignoring the flaming counterattack, he again trotted away and turned to look at his opponent. "Well? Anything else?" He blinked as a flying spearhead embedded itself in the wall next to his head.

"Sorry about the aim." Mega Man apologized, standing up again. "The next one won't miss." His words were proved true as a spearhead slammed into Centaur Man's shoulder. Without even pausing a moment, the quadrapedal Robot Master charged once more.

"Another Robot Master would have been knocked back by that." He boasted. "But not I! I'm different from every one you've fought before!" He winced as another spear slammed into him, but continued to bear down on the now-stationary Mega Man. At the last second, the Blue Bomber tensed up and leaped over his head, firing again down onto his back.

"Yeah… you've got some notable differences." Mega Man landed easily behind him. "You're a big target… and because of those four legs, you're not as agile as a normal Robot Master. You can take a hit, I'll admit, but you can't dodge one… rock bottom in that regard. And that design has other weaknesses too… I'll bet you can't even jump without a running start. If I can just dodge you enough times while keeping a constant stream of fire going, you'll run out long before I do."

"Is that so…" Centaur Man turned around and frowned as he switched weapons again. "Well then… perhaps I should get serious. At least you're not changing back to your Mega Buster… that would make this fight more boring. As opposed to, say, MY Scatter Buster…" He fired a plasma shot that soared way over Mega Man's head by several feet. As it struck the opposite wall, however, it shattered into multiple plasma bullets "Let's see you dodge THAT!" Two of the plasma bullets slammed into Mega Man's back, but he continued forward, charging and preparing his own weapon. Another bullet accompanied him as well, flying back over his head at its creator. For a moment, his eyes flickered up.

"Nice modification, but you'll be tasting your own fire that way-HUH?" In the moment his eyes had looked up, Centaur Man had completely vanished. Stunned, he skidded to a halt and looked around, only to be ground underfoot as Centaur Man ran him down from behind. _Got to use an E-Tank… how did he…_ "How did you DO that!" The hero yelled aloud as he slowly rose, draining one of the precious energy canisters to restore himself.

"How? One last gift from my creator." Centaur Man smirked and vanished again, then appeared several feet behind where he had been standing. "Another teleportation device, this one modified like my Buster… short-range, but instantaneous. I never showed that in the tournament, because I was saving it… saving it for YOU." He looked calmly at Mega Man. "Now you know everything I can do… just as I know all YOUR tricks. Let's see if you can find the right one to beat me… only one of them will work, as always. The question is, which one? Do you know?"

"I do." Mega Man replied firmly. "Now that you're out of surprises, I know exactly what will stop you."

"Do you now…" Centaur Man wondered. "Well then… shall we continue the game?" He fired again.

"This isn't a game… it's all too serious." Mega Man retorted, waiting as it approached.

"Wrong. The deaths, the initial chaos… that was real. But everything after that…" Centaur Man coolly stared him down as the shot soared overhead. "You've known it all along. It's been a game… a sham. A joke. It's just the same things as before, repeated to you… you've been through it all already!" The shot burst, and at the exact moment that it did, Mega Man slid, intending to dodge. However, Centaur Man fired again then-not plasma, but a blinding flash that caused the Blue Bomber's slide to veer out of control into one of the plasma bullets. Satisfied, Centaur Man teleported again. "You've known it all along… you're not taking this seriously at all! And that is your downfall when you come up against something that IS new!" Appearing behind his enemy, Centaur Man charged and smirked as he felt his hooves strike home… then gasped in pain as a massive, heavy weight slammed into his side, spikes digging in. Nearly knocked over by the massive blow, he barely managed to keep himself upright on two legs, then teetered back over onto the other two. Quickly clearing his opponent, the quadrapedal Robot Master turned back to stare as Mega Man retracted the heavy chain mace that had left a huge, bleeding dent in his lower body.

"Not quite as big or as heavy as the original, but it looks like it still does the job." Mega Man judged, looking at the wound. "What was that you were going on about? Being different? Looks to me like you're going down… just like every one before you." Centaur Man clenched his teeth.

"You're wrong…" He began teleporting around madly, shifting locations over and over again. "Wrong! The others fell to you because they were all repeats… their forms may have been different, but they were all the same! The overbearing coward, the placid dullard, the battle-mad maniac, the cheery fool, the challenger who wants you personally, the quiet observer, the honorable warrior… you've fought them all dozens of times! You defeated them before, and so you did so again! THAT's why you won, Mega Man… because it's all the same! It never changes! Only I am original!" Without warning, he fired his blinding flash, then charged instantly, not giving him an instant to recover. Even before he hit, however, the Knight Crush swung out, slamming into him, but not in his main body. This time, the brutal chain mace targeted his front legs, snapping them like branches. First one, then the other, failed him. Screaming, Centaur Man toppled in front of his enemy, who was already standing back up.

"It took me a while to figure out how to tell your location by the sound of your hooves, but I did it in the end." Mega Man rose completely, rubbing his eyes with his left hand. "There are some things you can see even while blind… such as your weakness. Like I said, you can take a hit, but you can't dodge one…" The Knight Crush slammed down into Centaur Man's buster hand, completely smashing it. "Which means the slow-but-powerful attack that can punch through even your defenses will hit home. And by the way… just for the record… you're not different either. If we're putting it in terms in personality, like you described your comrades… you're the one who feels some instinctive desire to help me, even though his programming says different. Like Pharaoh Man and Crystal Man before you, you gave me hints even while doing your best to beat me… and like them, you've failed. Game over for you." Slowly, Centaur Man closed his eyes and chuckled.

"You really are something." Opening his one good hand, he revealed a circuit plate. "And you've won this. You chose correctly… I'm the real deal." He tossed it to Mega Man easily, then stared straight at him. "If you're right… if something in me does want to reveal some truth to you… realize this. It's without my current knowledge… I know you are my enemy, and I don't know any hidden truth to impart. Perhaps it's my old self… who I was before my master changed me. Reprogrammed me. That being said…" His eyes narrowed. "Have you figured whatever it is out, then?"

"Yeah." Mega Man nodded, pocketing the circuit plate. "I have."

"Then I have no purpose any more… all my combat capabilities are destroyed by you." Centaur Man closed his eyes. "Finish it." After a moment, he felt the bite of a spiked mace against the side of his head, and then there was no feeling left… and then he stood on a featureless gray plain, surrounded by his brethren who had already fallen, and facing a grinning robot clad in black.

"_Pleased to meet you… won't you guess my name?"_

----------------------------

"I assume you all watched what happened on the TV." Mega Man guessed as he teleported back into the lab at his home. The two Doctors were both sitting in front of a workbench with Beat's inert form there as well. "So you know I got a circuit plate… and you rebuilt the eighth one. Now all that's left is to see if this is the last one." He tossed it to Dr. Light, who nervously caught it.

"Please be careful, Rock… we built these things durable, but there's no point in tempting fate. Now, let's see here…" He began examining it, and a broad smile crossed his face. "Then again, it seems fate is looking out for us. We beat the odds, Rock… this is the one. Beat will be back in shape by the time you wake up tomorrow."

"No kidding." Mega Man grinned as well, shaking his head. "Who would have figured… after all that garbage, all those missed Robot Masters and repeat plates… we actually pulled it off. It'll be good to have aerial assistance again. Well then, I'll be sacking out… how do I look?"

"You've seen worse." Dr. Light pronounced after a moment's examination. "Some optics damage, but not as much as Bright Man caused… as for your body…" He frowned. "Had to use an E-Tank, I'll bet."

"Yeah." Mega Man rolled his eyes. "Does it show?"

"The hoof prints are a bit of a tip-off." Dr. Cossack explained with a slight smirk. "In particular, the one right between your eyes."

"Roll'll have a few words on THAT subject, I'll bet…" Mega sighed. "I might as well pass out before she gets around to seeing me. Wake me up if Mr. X starts making a broadcast-"

"Too late, bro." Roll slammed the door open, with Kalinka in tow. "You're right about my having some words for you about that fight, but they can wait. X is on the air right NOW."

"Man, he doesn't wait around." Mega Man growled, hurdling the stair rail. Ignoring his father's protests about parkour inside the house, he glared at the television, where Mr. X was rambling.

"-And with that somewhat puzzling conversation, the eighth contestant left the field." Mr. X shook his head mildly. "I don't quite know what you've figured out, Rock, but it won't help you. As for the rest of you… ladies and gentlemen, I'm sure you're quite relieved to hear that only YOUR contestant remains in the tournament. Correct? If you are… then you are fools, you silly spectators. To those of you who know different, my congratulations on learning from the lessons of the past."

"Here it comes." Roll growled.

"You see, it's really quite simple." Mr. X wagged a finger. "Have past Rebellions ended with the defeats of simple Robot Masters? I think not. No, something else is required… something further. Beyond the Robot Masters… comes the fortress. In past Rebellions, my good friend and scapegoat, Dr. Albert Wily, filled this role in those gloriously gaudy Skull Fortresses of his. Sometimes he even enlisted the help of another to further add to the ranks… his greatest creation, Doc Man, or an innocent Doctor in Russia…" He grinned mockingly. "How are you doing there, Sergei? I hope young miss Kalinka is in… good health?" He chuckled, and Dr. Cossack growled something unrepeatable in Russian. "Back to the main point… In the absence of the good Dr. Wily, and without any such buffers myself… I, of course, must take up the position. It wouldn't be right without an even number of contestants, after all… and so I, the tenth contender, shall clash in the grand finale against the undefeated champion, Mega Man-" Suddenly, the screen began to fritz out, and waves of static poured across it.

"What the heck?" Roll irritably crossed over to it. "Fine time for the thing to crap out on us!"

"Don't kick it!" Dr. Light warned. "That's what you did to the LAST one, and we STILL haven't found all the pieces of it! Besides, it looks like it's clearing up… what is that…"

"That's… not Mr. X!" Kalinka gasped. "It's-"

"We interrupt this broadcast for a VERY special report!" A familiar voice to all of them announced with a sly chuckle. Sunglasses glinted, and a yellow scarf waved, as Proto Man sat behind a massive desk. Next to him, fiddling with a keyboard, was Dr. Trenton Corbun.

"Highly improper of us, I know…" Dr. Corbun admitted, grinning like a sunbeam. "But I'm afraid we just couldn't stand to listen to that blowhard's bragging for even a second longer. Dreadfully impolite."

"For those of you unfortunately not in the know, my name's Blues Light, AKA Proto Man, though not if the cops come calling." Proto Man bowed flamboyantly. "My assistant is Trenton Corbun, world-renowned robotocist and former Gamma Team member. And the two of us, ladies and gentlemen, have hijacked your airwaves right out from under the nose of the man who invented the process, or so he'd like to have us believe. I'd like to see some legal proof, though I doubt it'd be THAT easy to drag him into a court."

"So that's why Trent wanted to know how he did that!" Dr. Cossack snapped his fingers. "Albert told me for my role in the Fourth… it seems he's managed to make an override for it as well!"

"Much as we'd like to gloat about pulling one over on the old buffoon all day and night, we'd just be following in his tracks." Dr. Corbun shook his head mournfully. "Why don't you get to the point then, Blues?"

"Gladly." Proto Man pulled down a wall map, displaying southern Asia. "This, my friends, is the Himalayan Mountain Range. And right here, on this very spot…" He gestured with a wall pointer. "This was the site of the very first Skull Fortress, Skull Fortress I. After the first Robot Rebellion, it was blown of the face of the planet, and good riddance. But it seems some people just can't learn from their mistakes, because hey, guess what. There is NOW yet ANOTHER Fortress built on that very same location, but THIS one's got a big neon X on top! Can anybody possibly guess who that fine piece of real estate belongs to?" He tossed away the wall pointer. "That's right, folks, it's the big bad blowhard himself, Mr. X! I'm sure he was going to announce this himself, because hey, that location can't be a coincidence and he has a weakness for high drama. Unfortunately for him, so do we, and we just couldn't resist stealing the old man's thunder. Let's hope it infuriated him, huh? Now then, bro. I'll meet you at the usual spot at… shall we say noon tomorrow… for the battle plans. Rest assured, ladies and gentlemen, the brothers Light are on the case! That looks like all that needs to be said… cut the connection, doc." The image fizzled and died, and was replaced by Mr. X, completely motionless and looking profoundly offended. Without a word, that broadcast was cut as well, leaving returning to regular programming.

"You know, I think that made listening to all his chatter almost worthwhile." Mega Man chuckled, observing the amused smirks on the faces of the others. "Trust Blues and Doc Corbun to pull something like that."

"What's the usual spot?" Kalinka inquired.

"That means out front… that's where we me and him met before Skull Fortresses III and V." Mega explained. "About a mile away. Tomorrow noon, huh… will I be up and ready in time to make that?"

"If you let us start working now." Dr. Light answered.

"All right, let's get to it then." Mega Man nodded. "Tomorrow noon… that's when we finally start bringing this charade to an end."


	13. Chapter 12: X Marks The Spot

**_Chapter 12: X Marks The Spot_**

"Hey, Beat." Mega Man smiled as he opened his eyes to see the blue robotic bird flying around his head, chirping happily. "I see the guys got you back up. Good to see you again." Sitting up, the Blue Bomber stretched out his hand, and Beat flew down to perch on it. "The guys have filled you in on the situation, I take it." Beat replied with an angry trill. "Good. You're ready for some payback, I take it… same here." Again Beat chirped affirmatively. Though he was only a robot, nowhere near the often humanlike mental levels of a Robot Master, it would be a mistake to think Beat was stupid; he was fully capable of understanding what Mr. X had done to him and knowing the appropriate response.

"He's just been waiting for you to wake up so he can go." Roll joked from a nearby chair. "Watch out, bro, or HE'll do most of the fighting this time around and leave YOU in a support role."

"You're about as funny as finding Rush burying a spoke wrench in your garden." Mega shook his head and stood up. "Speaking of which, I assume he's ready to go as well?"

"Yup… and Eddie too, so expect to see him in there somewhere." Roll continued. "No sign on Blues, but that's hardly surprising… when you meet him up front, ask him how he's doing. Pharaoh Man says he'll stay behind at first as a reserve, but if you're running into trouble, send Beat or Rush back here with word and he'll come on over."

"Good plan." Mega nodded. "Looks like all systems are functional… I've only got one E-Tank, but I guess that can't be helped. I might as well get going, then."

"Actually, there's one more thing." Dr. Light leaned inside with a pained look on his face. "The UN called earlier, and when I told them you were still out of it… well, they've been on hold ever since, waiting for you. We can't exactly tell them you left already like that."

"Damn… so close." Mega Man swore, then sighed. "Oh well, let's go see what they want at this date." Walking out and jumping down to the living room, he turned to the vidphone, which was displaying one of the identical UN council chambers, all members present. "Gentlemen. I understand you wished to speak with me."

"Eh? Oho! Rock Light, it's good to see you…" Edmund Martel, the current presiding Councilor, raised an eyebrow. "At last. It seems you have been very busy this current Rebellion."

"I'm always busy, sirs." Mega Man answered, fighting down a smirk of his own. He knew the sarcasm wasn't biting-along with Vinkus, Martel had always played things as straight as possible with him.

"So we've noticed." Vinkus coughed. "Really, Rock, don't you think you could have let us talk to you at least ONCE before now?"

"Like I said, I've been busy." Mega Man shrugged.

"Yes, well…" Martel nodded slowly. "Despite the exhortations of SOME members among us, as a whole, we gathered here have concluded that you have managed this Rebellion quite capably, despite your lack of guidance from us. Just like the four before the most recent one." A hint of a smile appeared again, but he stifled it. "This much, we have been able to let go without needing to step in. However, we are concerned about what comes next. To be specific, with your mission to defeat the mastermind of this Rebellion. The man calling himself Mr. X… his true identity has been a constant subject of debate within this forum."

"Within my head as well, Councilors." Mega Man replied.

"We expected as much. However, our concerns persist whether it is Oilver Xanthos or Albert Wily who is responsible for this." Martel continued. "Either way, one thing remains clear. Ever since the Third Robot Rebellion, the humans behind the madness have avoided capture and punishment. In the Third, we believed him dead… but following the Fourth and Fifth, Albert Wily escaped both times. And Mr. X has yet to see a substantial prison sentence in all his years." The US Councilor shook his head. "This can not… MUST not… repeat itself. We have turned a blind eye to what some call direct disobedience and contempt for this council on the part of the Light family… and we shall continue to do so, provided you continue to fulfill your duties… ALL of them, Rock Light." He stared at Mega Man, all traces of humor now gone. "Do not let the mastermind escape again, Mega Man. Of course, you cannot harm him… but regardless… this time, bring him back. Capture him, so that this will never take place again… so that this will be the last of the Robot Rebellions."

"…" Mega Man stared down, gritting his teeth. Although the Councilor could not know it, those words had set off something in his head… something that never failed to surface when the end of a Rebellion drew near. "Stop him… yes. I have to… stop him." He looked up again. "I WILL stop him. This time, he won't get away… whoever he is. Wily or X… I'll bring him to justice."

"Do so." Martel smiled grimly. "We're counting on you. Good luck, young warrior." The communication cut off, and Mega turned around to see his father and sister, and with them the Cossacks. "Well. I'd pretty much say that's about it. I should be heading off, then."

"Rock." Dr. Cossack was not smiling. "Are you sure… you'll be okay? With… that man?" Mega Man was silent for a moment, as he saw the Russian robotocist's face, and remembered two Rebellions ago… seeing Sergei Cossack when his daughter had been returned in near-mortal condition, and Albert Wily had fled from the younger man's rage over that crime.

"_No matter how hard you try… you can't stop him. You can't kill him, Mega Man."_

"I'll manage." Mega answered with a tiny smile. "I've brought Wily down without harming him five times… if it's him again this time, or X, I'll still be able to handle it. Don't worry about me. Anybody got any messages for Blues that I can deliver when I go see him?"

"Same thing I'm telling you." Roll closed her eyes. "Come back trashed, and I'll fix you up then put you right back in that shape again with my own hands." Dr. Light chuckled.

"Just tell him good luck." Dr. Cossack echoed that statement, and after a moment, Kalinka spoke as well.

"Tell Blues that I… I…" She paused for a moment. "That I… want to see him back here again."

"Heh…" Mega Man nodded. "Got it. I'll be off then… see you soon."

----------------------------

"Good grief, what an eyesore…" Mega Man's first thoughts upon seeing the edifice he christened the "X Fortress" were unflattering. "And I thought the Skull Fortresses were bad." Larger than any of the monoliths he has taken on before, much of the Fortress was on flat ground, spanning several miles. That portion of it actually looked like a futuristic metropolis, with streets and buildings like one could see in Tokyo. The presence of heavily armed warbots replacing pedestrians and cars sort of killed the effect, of course… as did the main body of the fortress. As was customary, several towers of various heights, colors and designs-Mega counted five in total-flanked the left and right of one huge central monolith. In this case, it was a purple dome topped in an unsafe-looking fashion by a metal platter that held another dome atop it, this one transparent… glass? Above that, a tower the same shape as the dome stretched towards the heavens, bearing on its front side a gigantic metal shield forming an X. "And there's the ostentatious faceplate… always the same."

"Looks like he's going for the bigger is better approach too." Another voice agreed with a trademark whistle. Mega Man didn't even turn around as his brother, Proto Man, joined him. "Most of that city-like area isn't too heavily patrolled. The downside is, those streets and roadways mean once you're in there, all the security in that outer area can rush to your location fast."

"You suggest a decoy?" Mega Man guessed.

"Yup. I'll handle that." Proto Man nodded. "Wait, hear me out before saying it's too dangerous. I'll go in on the right side, and after waiting five minutes, you come in on the left." He pointed at the leftmost tower. "Right there… that's the weakest point in the fortifications of the main structure. If the security in the ground area is distracted, you should be able to get to that tower in five minutes, and be inside by another five. If I draw them all over to me for ten minutes than bail out, it'll still take them five to get back to you, and by that time you'll be inside."

"…All right." Mega Man nodded. "I know you can handle that. What about afterwards?"

"Well…" Proto Man frowned. "Here's the thing. I've also found another Skull Fortress, although it's completely inactive at the moment. It's in the Alps, right where I hear the SECOND Skull Fortress used to be. I'm sure you remember the coordinates. The obvious explanation is that Wily was planning to use it, but never got the chance to… it's not like Mr. X would have told him ahead of time 'Hey, I'm planning to kill you!' All the same… we're too suspicious to let it go at that, aren't we?"

"Yeah." Mega Man nodded grimly. "So after getting me inside, you want to head off to that Skull Fortress and be there in case it turns out to be Wily and he blasts off there after I beat him here. I'll miss you inside this place… but you're right. It's worth the risk. Let's do it that way, then."

"Great minds think alike." Proto Man smirked. "Despite what Roll might say about ours." Mega nodded.

"We all saw that when you teamed up with Doc Corbun to crash the broadcast. That was brilliant, by the way. I assume you've been seeing him for minor scrapes and bruises from your fights?"

"Yeah, didn't want to trouble you guys." Proto Man shrugged. "It was just quick patch jobs, really… all I needed. Remember, I got to watch you taking all those punks on first, so I knew their weaknesses, attacks, even movement patterns. It was pretty easy going, really. Oh, did anybody have any messages for me?"

"Yeah." The Blue Bomber made a face. "I'll go ahead and skip Roll's… you probably already know it. The docs wish us good luck… and Kalinka, well…" He grinned. "She said she wants you to come back to her… and I got the feeling there was a bit more to it than that, if you catch my drift."

"Yeah, well…" Proto Man coughed uncomfortably. "She's what, eleven now? Humans start to get a little weird when they get past their first decade. Let's just get going."

"As you wish." Mega Man allowed himself one more chuckle at his brother's expense before becoming serious. "Five minutes. Go." Nodding, Proto teleported away and reappeared a few miles away, barely visible, on the right side of the structure. Exactly five minutes after he had dashed into the complex, Mega Man repeated the move on the left side. As Proto Man had predicted, most of the robot security had left the area behind, and the only opposition the Blue Bomber met as he dashed down the streets were shielded cannon embedded where fire hydrants or lampposts would stand in an actual city. "I guess these guys couldn't exactly run off to give chase…" Blowing them away, Mega never stopped moving, and when he reached the base of the tower he wanted, his internal clock told him four minutes had passed since his entry. "Ahead of schedule… excellent. Now, time to climb this sucker…" Grabbing a ladder, he began scaling the structure. Despite the presence of only a few enemy robots, Mega found the going was not easy with many spikes hampering his movement from ladder to ledge and back again. Even with his Jet Armor, several of the jumps he had to make were very close. It was about halfway up the tower that he found the damaged wall. Purely by luck, his eye fell upon a section of glass-a window-that was filled with cracks from some kind of accident.

"Hmmm." Switching to his Power Armor, Mega destroyed it with one blow if his fist. "Goody, a shortcut. I'll probably need it, since Blues should be gone by now…" Looking over his shoulder, he winced. Though still a good distance away, a horde of what must have been hundreds of robots was closing on him fast. "That clinches it… in I go!" Vaulting into through the remains of the window, then switched to his Power Armor and gleefully smashed through anything in his way. The area seemed to contain a large number of Weapons Energy capsules just lying around, which he used to refill his Silver Tomahawk-a couple of the remaining sentries on his climb had been difficult to nail. "Some kind of storage area… shame I couldn't find it later on when I'll need them more. Oh well." Smashing one last crate below a ladder, he climbed up further into the tower and found himself facing a metal shutter. "Huh! QUITE the shortcut… a Fortress Guardian already. Blues didn't say anything about what Mr. X had for this job this time around… well, might as well go on in and see." Bracing himself, he walked in.

"Welcome to my humble abode, Mega Man!" Mr. X's voice called out in greeting. "That was a cute trick you and your brother pulled, but I'm afraid such foolishness won't get you past THESE babies! Let's see how you do against them!" The center of the room was filled with a long, winding metal track that hung down from the ceiling. Twin doors on said ceiling opened, and two identical robots dropped down onto the tracks, purple and vaguely oval-shaped. Huge spikes were on each corner, and on the bottom were suspicious-looking bay doors. As Mega Man watched, both bays opened simultaneously and released bombs as the Rail Riders blasted into motion in opposite directions. "Well? Think you can avoid them both AND fight back at the same time?"

"Shouldn't be too hard." Mega Man smiled grimly, turning to the Flame Shot. _Let's hope this works…_ He fired ahead of the path of one Rail Rider, clearly missing.

"Ha! Nice aim, fool!" Mr. X cackled, then stopped as the rail burst into flame where it hit, and the enemy continued forward heedlessly, blasting right into the fires before it.

"As I thought… they're set on automatic." Mega Man fired again while easily sliding under some bombs. "As long as I hit the rail, one of those two will be damaged within a few seconds, so I don't need to put all my attention on aiming as usual. I can focus on dodging." Mr. X was silent for a moment, then began laughing again.

"Yes, you had better! Use your eyes, fool!" Frowning, Mega Man saw that one of the Rail Riders was now on his level and rushing forward at him.

"Figured those spikes weren't just for show…" Switching weapons again, he leaped forward and leaned out, clearing the enemy as closely as possible. As he did, he activated the Plant Barrier, and the force field damaged the enemy below AND the one above that had been rushing overhead as Mega carefully wedged his dive between the two. "AND I figured you'd set them to do that if their paths were set. Give me SOME credit… I've seen all this before." Again Mr. X was silent, and it was only a short time before both Rail Riders fell off of their track, smoking. Mega Man stood between them, unharmed, glaring up at a camera in the room's corner. "You had better have been clowning around with those two… if your other defenses are this pathetic, I'll be knocking on your suite in no time at all." Destroying the camera, the Blue Bomber climbed up through one of the ceiling doors.  
"Not bad!" Mr. X rallied, yelling after him. "But you've still got a long way to go before reaching me!" Ignoring him as usual, Mega Man blasted through a few more sentry robots in a second tower before finding an enclosed bridge. Looking through the glass siding showed him that it led to the main building.

"Good… that's where I should go." Unfortunately, the tunnel was by far the most tricky section of the fortress yet. Both ceiling and floor were lined with spikes, and after a short time, the former lowered so much that he couldn't safely use his Jet Armor. The charging robotic vehicles with spikes fronts and explosive payloads didn't help matters either; thanks to them, when he finally reached the other side Mega's energy level was no longer perfect. Fortunately, those were the only enemies in the bridge aside from Metools, which were easily cleared out ahead of time by a furious Beat, who descended upon them with razor-sharp metal claws. Reaching the other side, Mega cleared out a few more sentry robots before advancing to another metal shutter. "Hm… already?" Entering it, he found himself in a room with an extremely high ceiling… one which seemed to be made out of rock. "Now what's that all about…" He glared down at a door in the bottom of the opposite wall, but it did not open-instead, one in the top of that wall did, and a robot with four huge piston feet crawled out, spider-like, and climbed down the far wall to glare at him from a single tiny eye.

"Meet my second Fortress Guardian, Mega Man." Mr. X chimed in again. "I hope you'll enjoy testing him out!"

"Oh, I intend to do more than just test…" Mega Man growled, firing a charged shot straight at the Wall Walker. "I intend to DESTROY!" Taking the hit, the Wall Walker immediately began moving again, pounding the wall with its piston legs as it moved up and down. The significance of the earthen ceiling was revealed; as its legs shook the room, rocks were dislodged to fall down. They bounced harmlessly off of the armored foe, but Mega Man was forced to slide around frantically avoiding them. As he did, he reeled suddenly from a plasma blast. "Damn! It fires plasma too?" He paused for a moment to see the enemy's attack; low-power shots, but scattered in a wide burst. "Double damn. Half of them will be blunted by the rocks, but that's still far too many getting through towards me. This one's a far more effective design than those stupid Rail Riders…" He winced as another shot struck him.

"Thank you!" Mr. X replied with mocking gratitude. "I hope you have some ideas as to what to do."

"You bet I do…" Mega Man ran over his weapons. _As long as it's up there, Mega Buster'll never hit it through those rocks… neither will any of the elemental weapons. Knight Crush and Plant Barrier are obviously out of the question…_ He tried a shot of the Centaur Flash, then shook his head as the Wall Walker continued heedlessly. _That's no good either. Only other things that could get through those rocks… slicing or piercing. Let's try the Spear first…_ He fired several round of the Yamato Spear, and noted with pleasure that they shot through the falling rocks and continued on to hit their targets. However, the Wall Walker did not seem much affected by the shots. _All right, the Silver Tomahawk then… hope this works…_ The first spinning blade lodged home, and the enemy actually paused in its motion for a moment before continuing. _Looks like that's the trick!_ Several more Tomahawks spun forth, and with each one the Wall Walker moved slower. Finally, its actions froze entirely, and the room's shaking subsided. A moment later, the enemy toppled off the wall.

"Curse you, Mega Man! You still haven't won yet!" Mr. X angrily insisted.

"Yeah, yeah…" Mega Man winced, feeling the several plasma wounds he had taken. _The first one was a piker, but this model wasn't bad. If the chain continues, the next one could be trouble… figure that out when the time comes. Right now…_He looked at the two doors. One on his level, one near the ceiling. _If I use my Jet Armor, I should be able to barely reach the top one… but do I want to?_ His eyes narrowed. _There were two doors last time, too… he's echoing the gimmick from the Robot Masters. I have to choose a path. Last time, I picked the right one without even thinking about it, but now… do I want to go up or down? Normally, the central structure's just a decoy… they're always in underground basements. But Mr. X is a glory hog, playing this up for maximum cheesiness… he wouldn't be able to resist something more glamorous._ Breaking out the Rush Jet Armor, he rose to the upper door and clambered into it. _I'm getting closer… I'll find you soon._


	14. Chapter 13: Acceptance

**_Chapter 13: Acceptance_**

"_Sooner or later, there comes a time when we all have to buckle down and face some unpleasant truths. Things we didn't want to believe, but subconsciously knew all along. Once we pass that point, there's no going back… all we can is cope with the damage. We know that better than anybody else, the three of us… don't we?" -Maverick King Sigma, addressing his greatest enemies, Zero Omega and Mega Man X _

"I hate gimmick platforms over huge pits." Mega Man grumbled, flying over the last enemy on the gap's far side with his Jet Armor, then turning and blowing the hapless robot into the abyss with a shot of Wind Storm. Despite his hopes, the path had turned and led him into a tower on the Fortress' right side, giving him doubts about whether he had chosen the correct path after all. On the plus side, he had managed to locate another E-Tank in a hidden alcove, one he knew he would probably need before the Rebellion's end. Looking at the metal shutter before him, Mega Man sighed. "Right. Time to see if the next Guardian is in there or not. At least with this dumb Rebellion's style it probably won't be TOO bad if I'm wrong… probably just some confetti and an insulting sign." Shaking his head, he walked on through. Immediately, he saw that what awaited him was NOT a joke; a massive, vaguely humanoid robot waited on tank treads. Two huge arms dangled at its sides, and a blank face located in the chest stared forward. Atop that was an empty metal canister with a viewing slot in front. "Missing something…?" The Blue Bomber glanced up as a transparent dome glided down on rockets, doubtless made of the glasteel alloy that was used in war machines controlled by his human opponents. This War Mech, however, was not controlled by a human. Mega Man stared incredulously at the tiny Metool behind the controls before hitting himself in the face. "It's a joke… but the controls are probably still in there, so I'll have to aim for it anyways."

"If you can!" Mr. X sneered from a speaker. "Let's see how well you do against the last of my Fortress Guardians!"

"So this is the last one… good." Mega Man nodded as the Met Mech sprang to life. "Once it's down, on to the big man." The enemy, however, did not seem too keen on that happening. With a staticy roar, the Met Mech rushed forward, swinging its arms wildly. Yelping, Mega Man slid away, and the Met Mech gave chase with surprising speed, firing huge plasma orbs from the mouth of its face. The shots bounced along the ground like rubber balls, and one of them hit Mega Man despite his best efforts, doing much more damage than the weaker plasma shots of the last enemy. "Oww… no subtlety to this thing. All about raw power… I've got to bring it down, quick!" He began switching through his Master Weapons, frantically firing them one by one and gauging their effects. None seemed too effective, but the Met Mech drew back anyways, firing straight plasma shots instead of the bouncers before rushing forward again. Busy dodging the shots, Mega was caught off guard and clipped by one of the flailing fists. Sprawling, he instantly rose and slid away seconds before being obliterated by the Met Mech's heavy treads.

"Come on, something's got to work-yes!" The Blizzard Attack's snowflakes had made the machine pause. It rushed forward again, but now that he knew what would do the most damage, Mega Man was able to fire wave after wave of the snowflakes until it screeched to a halt, motionless. The glasteel dome was completely frosted over, and one shot of the Flame Blast shattered it, revealing both Metool and controls as frozen as the rest. Another shot finished the job, and Mega Man turned to the doors awaiting him. Side-by-side, there was nothing different about them at all. Shrugging, he chose one, then grimaced as he saw the other door to his side in the next room as well. "One more bad joke."

"So you don't care for my sense of humor." Mr. X growled. "Not that that matters much. Come, Mega Man! Your last challenger awaits you!"

"Yeah, yeah." Shaking his head, Mega Man walked forward. "Heard it all before. Still… that thing messed me up some. Better use an E-Tank." Taking it and climbing up the tower, he destroyed wall cannons and avoided deadly spikes until he came across something new; a hole in the floor with no apparent purpose. "Hm?" As he watched, a metal egg rose from the hole and flew apart, revealing a green bird looking like nothing so much as an evil Beat. Before he could move, it lunged and took a chunk out of him with its claws. "Geez! Better put a stop to that right now…" He summoned the true bird, who took in the situation at a glance, then angrily shredded the doppleganger. "As I thought… no match for the real deal." Regardless, the hole would probably keep spawning the birds. Shifting to his Power Armor, Mega smashed out a raised part of the floor and shoved it on top of the bird producer. "THERE we go." However, several more like it were clearly visible, so Mega kept Beat out to deal with those birds that spawned before he could block the holes up. Climbing further up the tower, Mega found a fork in the road-a ladder leading up, or a long hall winding around the sides.

"Hm… looks like this may be an actual choice, unless both lead to the same place. But just in case… go for the direct route." He climbed the ladder and continued on, destroying lurking spider-clawed bombs before they could touch him. Beyond those, another long hallway filled with bird producers awaited him, this time with their narrow lips as the only stepping stones across a large chasm and no way to block them up. Beat continued to shred the birds without fail as Mega Man carefully jetted across. "What would I do without you?" He grinned at the birdbot, who tweeted happily as they reached the other side and the metal shutter with Mr. X's logo above it. "Right, this is it. You ready?" Beat chirped again in reply, and the two of them walked through the door. At first, the room was completely darkened, but after a moment, four spotlights flipped on in the corners of the roof, revealing the arena to be far larger than the typical chambers used by Mega Man's enemies. All four lights quickly focused on him.

"Here he is, ladies and gentlemen!" Mr. X's voice came, loud and mocking, from high above. "The famous Blue Bomber, Mega Man, CHAMPION! Master of five Robot Rebellions, he has defeated all who came before him… but for one." More searchlights sprang to life and illuminated a huge portal in the ceiling, from which a monstrosity was descending… a huge sphere covered in hundreds of spikes, dangling from a thick metal chain, with a bored-looking face on the front looking mechanically down at Mega Man. Above the eyes, visible through a glasteel shield, was the man behind the curtain. Mr. X, garbed in his familiar black cloak and sunglasses, smiled down at the robot below him. "Survivor of the Third World War, Mr. X, CHALLENGER! Here and now, atop this tower in my humble home, I challenge YOU, Mega Man." He spread his arms. "At stake… the world. Defeat me here, and you will never need worry for the planet's safety again… your life of battles shall be over. I am your final test, your ultimate challenge. Lose to me, however… fumble it at the last moment… and there will be nothing to stand between me and absolute world domination. What have you to say?" Mega Man stared up at him for several silent moments before replying.

"Are you quite done?" Contempt dripping from every word, the Blue Bomber glared up at the aged billionaire in his metal shell. "I'm sure this is all very amusing for YOU, but I've got better things to do than continue this farce. Defend yourself, or keep on talking… it doesn't matter. Either way, you're going DOWN." Without waiting for a counter, he fired off a charged shot into one of the mech's eyes. At the same time, Beat flew off into the darkness.

"Ho! So much for the old myth about the hero always playing fair!" Mr. X's hands began moving across his machine's controls, and the sphere began moving, swinging back and forth on the chain across the room, scraping the floor at the center by inches. "Watch out, boy… step into range of the swing, and even you will be killed instantly!"

"I've dealt with things like that before." Mega Man shrugged, not moving from his location-near the walls, the machine passed over his head harmlessly. "Like Gamma. The Ultimate War Machine, one you helped to create. I destroyed it… and I'll destroy THIS clanking monstrosity the same way." He fired another charged shot, but Mr. X only sneered as his weapon took the hit.

"Boasting, always boasting… and you claim not to wish to trade words. Well, if you prefer to trade weapons, then perhaps this will be more to your taste…" A focusing crystal beneath the mech's eyes glowed and dropped a sphere of plasma onto the floor that split into several shots, racing across the floor. "Can you dodge both these and the machine itself? You're safe enough in your spot as long as you keep your feet on the ground, but jump at the wrong time and… splat!"

"Easily." Mega Man fired again, keeping one eye on the machine's motion and another on the shots it fired. "These are the most rudimentary moves I could use… ones I learned long ago. If this is all I'll need to bring this one down, you've chosen a very poor joke for your last laugh indeed."

"You're not even trying your master weapons out, I see." Mr. X noted, raising an eyebrow in mock concern. "My my, do you have such little faith in your hard-won prizes to not even give them a chance?"

"On the contrary… this façade of a fight doesn't even justify their use." Mega Man fired again and again, dodging each and every shot and swing. "This is pathetic. Even the Rail Riders were more challenging than THIS. You weren't even trying this time, were you?" Smoking from a dozen craters in its surface, the machine's swinging began to falter, and its plasma fire ceased… and then, with a cracking noise that filled the room, it flew loose from its severed chain and smashed into a corner of the room, lifeless and inert. "You didn't even notice Beat up there working on that chain the whole time… and after all that trouble you went to keeping him out of commission. You couldn't hit me even once. This fight WAS a bad joke… a formula… a ritual. Just like everything else in this Rebellion. And here comes my least favorite part… the unmasking." He spat on the ground derisively. "I've beaten you here… so take off that disguise, WILY. It's not fooling anybody any more." Mr. X glared at him for a few moments, disgraced and defeated… and then he began to laugh, long and loud, in an entirely different, but all too familiar voice.

"Well… I suppose it was too much to hope for that I'd surprise you AGAIN…" His face contorted in a mass of latex and wig as he clawed at it with one hand, then flew off to lie on the ground. Behind it, the familiar features of Dr. Albert Wily leered down at his enemy. "It seems you didn't care for my script… or my sense of humor. It's such a shame… I worked very hard on them for your benefit. But then you just HAD to look ahead at the ending…" He glanced upward. "It was that meddling brother of yours, wasn't it? Shouldn't he be blasting through the roof on that moth Cossack paid for his daughter with?" Mega Man gritted his teeth, forcing himself to ignore the slander of his friends.

"Wouldn't you like to know where he is… but no, he didn't tell me. Although I'd bet he knew too… me, though, I've known it ever since Centaur Man. He made it a point to emphasize the obvious… the whole thing, from the beginning… there's been nothing new about it at all. Nothing original. It's all been the same crap, repeated ad nauseum… every bit of it. This from a guy who not only created a Robot Master from knowledge learned entirely on observation, but made the first quadrapedal RM ever, one with all sorts of new tricks? I don't think so. No, the guy doing this would have a totally opposite mindset… one I was all too familiar with."

"As well you should be!" Wily cackled in glee. "It looks like what I told you in the Fourth has finally begun to sink in, Mega Man! It WILL always repeat! It WILL always come back to you! The same thing will happen over and over, as you've said! And it will KEEP doing that for all of your miserable mechanical life until you lie dead at last, because I will not stop until you fall!" His voice dropped into a hiss. "I… will… never… stop. THAT is the true lesson of this Rebellion, Mega Man, condensed and simplified for your benefit. I will never stop. In the end, that is all that is important, all that you need to know. You can beat me as many times as you wish… defeat me again and again, and it will mean nothing. You can never stop me." Staring up at the evil old man, Mega Man's eyes began to glow with rage as he once again heard Cossack's bitter words.

"_No matter how hard you try… you can't stop him. You can't kill him, Mega Man."_ But this time, there was another memory accompanying it… another man's words. No… a ROBOT's words. Ones that spoke in complete opposition to Cossack's… the words of Doc Man, sane at last, as they sat side by side atop the burning wreckage of the Proto Fortress in their only, final moment of kinship.

"_Plain and simple, cousin. My dad… Wily… he won't stop. He'll just keep coming on and on… UNTIL YOU KILL HIM." _

"I…" Mega Man shook his head, then stared at his hands, which were trembling as well. "I shall… deny both…"

"What?" Wily blinked in false astonishment. "What are you babbling about now, fool? Is it finally getting to you? Are you going as cuckoo as they all say I am? Wouldn't that be something…"

"No…" Mega Man denied, more to the memories than to his enemy. "NO. I will stop you… I will stop all these Rebellions. I'm bringing you in, old man… you're coming with me."

"Oh, I think not." Wily grinned, reaching into a pocket and pulling out a familiar device, silver and cylindrical. A matter teleporter. "You seem to be forgetting one more part of our little game, Mega Man… after the unmasking, comes the TRUE fortress. The SKULL Fortress. And I can assure you, it shall be much more impressive than this… what did you call it… ah yes, this ritual." Mega Man glared back, realizing only too late that while he had brought the machine down, the actual cockpit had remained undamaged, and he hadn't had to actually cause it to go critical in order to stop it, so Wily had not needed to flee. In other words, there was no way he could stop the maniac from warping away, and they both knew it.

"Damn you…"

"I think I'm adequately damned already, but thanks for the support." Wily snickered. "Oh, before I rush off, you might as well have a parting gift… I believe it's also customary for my dupe to put in an appearance here. You'll have to forgive him for not being in the best condition… he's been rotting for more than a week now." From the ceiling hatch, something was tossed out and struck the ground with a meaty thump. Rushing over, Mega Man had to fight down an urge to retch. It was the corpse of 'himself' Wily had shown at the Tournament, now showing heavy signs of bacteria and insects decomposing it… and the latex mask it wore, which could not conceal its identity any more. The real Mr. X… Mega Man's friend, who had never betrayed him after all… lay dead at his feet in horrifying condition. "You might want to put my mask on him… he'd really look better with it on, I think. Hope you don't plan on giving him an open casket funeral, but then again it WOULD provide the onlookers with a handy vomitorium, wouldn't it…"

"You…" Mega Man's eyes flashed red as he slowly turned around. "When I get my hands on you…"

"You'll what?" Wily sneered. "Give me a stern talking to? Remember, little hero… FIRST LAW. No matter what I do to you, you can't even so much as twist my finger… you can destroy my machines all you want, but when it's me personally… you can't hurt me in even the slightest. Even think about it, and bang goes the brain… kind of like what happened to poor old X there." He giggled disgustingly. "I was tired of the live hostage bit anyways. Well, I think that about covers all of our business here… shall we be off, then? You know the drill, I lead the way, you give chase… the whole bit. Let's give it a go, shall we? I'll be seeing you again soon, with any luck, unless part of my newest abode does you in… not too likely, I'll admit, but hey, a guy's got to dream, right? Bye bye now…" Cackling again, he teleported away in a beam of light, leaving Mega Man alone in the deserted room with the corpse of Mr. X. Silently, he walked over to the machine and spent several minutes breaking open the cockpit to retrieve the black cloak, which Wily had shed in his escape. Wrapping the body of his friend in it, he picked it up and teleported to the front of the fortress, where he gently placed it on the ground.

"At least scavengers won't be around here…" The Blue Bomber whispered quietly. The scars from the nuking of the first Skull Fortress still remained on the site, keeping any biological life forms from moving back into the area for years to come… any save for one man driven beyond sanity a long time ago. "I'm sorry that I can't take you to a more secure location yet… but I can't make a long side trip right now. I need to go join my brother as soon as possible… I can't leave him alone in a Skull Fortress." He placed a hand on the cloak-wrapped corpse and smiled sadly. "You'd understand, I'm sure… you always were good at that. As soon as this is done with, I'll come back for you, I promise… we can at least give you a funeral. It's not enough, it'll never be enough… not for you, or any other victim of the Rebellions… but it's all I can do, aside from stopping him. I'm sorry." Turning away, he teleported off into the sky, heading for his destination with one thought burning in his mind.

_WILY… _


	15. Chapter 14: Brother Act

**_Chapter 14: Brother Act_**

As he always did, when Mega Man caught his first view of the newest Skull Fortress he stood motionless for several moments, taking in every facet of it… the differences and variations on the theme, and the parts that were hatefully familiar. Unlike most previous ones, it had no outer wall nor array of tower structures. Aside from one water tank on the left and a single bone-shaped tower on the right, it was all one building. That edifice resembled a Japanese home from centuries ago, on a massive scale with a smaller duplicate riding atop the larger. What was similar… the identifying skull mask that doubtless doubled as a massive shield against frontal assault, and the gaudy, neon color schemes, purple and green in eye-killing tones. Even the sand heaped beneath the fortress had been dyed lavender. Tearing his eyes free from the monstrosity, Mega looked around and quickly spotted something else, almost as garish but far more welcoming. A neon arrow sign, pointing toward the Fortress' right side, with a note taped to it.

"I wonder where Blues got THIS…" The Blue Bomber muttered to himself, reading the note.

_Hey, bro. I decided it would be better to start carving a path on in BEFORE the sentries activated. As usual, the right side's weak-seems to be a structural flaw in Wily's architectural education. Ain't that a shame. Anyways, head on over there. I'll be blowing a hole in on top of that bone-tower with a bomb Drill Man rigged up for me. Just look for the huge smoking crater. Don't worry, there's nothing up there that'll kill you if your aim's off, so you can teleport up there safely once you're inside the barrier. I'll leave another one of these further in. See you inside!_

"What would I do without you, bro." Mega Man chuckled for a moment before becoming serious. "Right, I'd better go before ALL the security robots get out there." Running towards the bone-tower, he teleported on top of the bone-tower and easily rocketed over a strangely-placed electrified fence around the tower-top's perimeter. Inside, he saw that a small defense force was already patrolling for him; Wily had activated the Fortress as soon as he had arrived, it seemed. "Hm… looks like mostly Metools so far. Good." He switched the Jet Armor for the Power formation; the mighty fists destroyed Metools entirely, even through their protective helmets. Soon, he reached the massive hole in the roof Blues' note had indicated, leading the way into the tower's depths. "Hm… I don't like the looks of this." After a moment's thought, he called down Beat once more. "Heya. Mind taking a look in there for me?" Chirping, Beat flew down and returned a few moments later to inform him in binary that the tower's interior was a sheer drop with nothing in his way but spiked barricades and flying cannons. "Great. Maybe it's not a structural flaw after all… Wily figured we might come this way. Well, it's too late now… think you can help me out?" Beat agreed, and flew down ahead of the Blue Bomber in his Jet Armor again. By following the bird-bot's movements and using tiny spurts of his jets, he was able to avoid impalation on the spikes and reached the bottom of the tower in one piece.

"Looks like it goes straight into the main fortress… good." Disengaging his armor, Mega destroyed a few more sentries, then walked up to a metal shutter with another note attached.

_Three guesses what'll be in the next room when you come in, and it ain't Santa Claus or Elvis, so you should be able to nail it in one. Unfortunately, at the moment I write this the damn thing's in a side garage that's armored like a bank vault. I shoulda brought bigger bombs, I guess. Nothing I can do about it-can't even see it-so I'll have to just keep going. Good luck._

"Oh well, can't ask for everything…" Sighing, Mega Man walked through the doors and confronted the first Fortress Guardian of Skull Fortress XI. Unlike the ones found in the X Fortress, he knew as soon as he saw it that this thing was no joke-not even close. A massive metal brontosaurus in purple and green, the robot's main body was stationary, but its head moved back and forth on a metal neck to glare at him before opening its maw and releasing a huge wave of fire that scored into the floor itself as it moved towards him. "Hothead, huh…let's see how you like being cooled down, then!" Unfortunately, the Blizzard Attack's snowflake shuriken didn't seem to have much effect on the Brontobot, even when aimed at its head. The flamethrower continued to blaze, and from a hatch in the chest, spiked disks began to fly out in an upward arc reminiscent of the Silver Tomahawk. "That one probably wouldn't work either…" He glared up at the enemy's head. "I'd aim for the eyes, but that muzzle and the flames block it when I'm down here-wait…" He stared at one of the flying disks, then on an impulse jumped onto the flat top. Despite his weight, the weapon's arc continued upward, and he was brought level with the face. "Yes! It worked!" Grabbing a weapon at random, he fired the Yamato Spear and was rewarded with a gout of sparks as the weapon pierced the enemy's mug. "All right, now we're-uh oh." Striking the opposite wall, his ride had finally faltered, tumbling down and dropping him in the flamethrower's path. Fortunately, he was able to roll away before feeling more than the edge's singing. "Oww… have to watch out for that." Six more hits with the spear and only one additional brief brush with fire later, the Brontobot's head flopped over to one side like a falling tower, and all its motion ceased. Examining himself, Mega concluded that his injuries were minimal and continued on through a door in the back of the room.

"Right, I'll be inside the main area now… hope it's fairly straightforward." Mega Man muttered, then blinked at a feeling of low temperature. "What the heck… it's freezing! Who turned the AC up?" The entire hallway ahead of him was covered in a thin film of ice, and the most numerous of the enemy robots resembled sliding hockey pucks. Slipping and sliding his way down the hall, Mega was able to manage by using the Flame Blast to judiciously melt areas of the ice. Climbing a ladder up to the next level, he looked around the room and groaned; over a bed of spikes, Wily's favorite Disappearing Blocks were popping into existence and then vanishing in a set pattern. A flicker of white drew his eye to yet another taped note left by his brother.

_Don't want to deal with this? Yeah, I figured as much when I saw the setup, even though it wasn't active yet. Fortunately, you've got an alternative-look up on this wall above my note here and you should see a secret passage I found and left open. Merry Christmas._

"That IS a welcome present." The Blue Bomber looked up and smiled. Apparently Wily had discovered Blues' action but had been unable to reverse it; as a shoddy attempt, he had covered it with a massive wall of ice. A hit of the Flame Blast, however, melted it all away easily and left Mega Man to jump on through. Punching through some armored cannons with his Power Armor and then carefully navigating a series of jumps over deadly pits with a low, spiked ceiling put Mega in front of another familiar metal shutter. "Fortress Guardian time again, I guess…" No enemy was visible initially when he entered the room, but after a moment a hatch in the back opened up, and a clanking monstrosity rolled out, smoke rising from its back. The lower body was almost humerous, shaped like a child's tricycle in reverse with two wheels in front and one in the back, all three with legs rising up to meet. There was nothing funny about the massive cannon barrel atop them, though, nor the plasma focusing crystal above that. Even as both began firing spherical bombs and arcing bullets, the machine rolled on forward inexorably, obviously intending to pin Mega against a wall and destroy him there.

"Right, I can deal with the guns second… first, I've gotta stop it from moving." The Blue Bomber decided, pulling out a weapon he hadn't yet used much-the Wind Storm. As he had hoped, the miniature tornado slammed into one of the wheels and accelerated its movement, throwing it off balance with the others and causing the Guncycle to veer crazily. A few more judicious applications ended with the enemy's slamming into a wall, where it remained still-for a moment anyways, until the gun barrel swiveled around and continued firing. "Tough guy, huh… no matter. If you're immobile, you've got no chance." Though dodging both kinds of fire proved tricky, only a few hits landed in comparison to the many charged shots Mega launched, and before long the upper portion of the Guncycle died as well. "Onward again…" Walking through the door, he immediately realized something was wrong. There was nothing below his feet. Fortunately, it was not spikes or worse that he fell onto, merely a tank of water. Growling, he looked around and soon saw the way forward. "I hate this place. I hate ALL these places." Blowing away mechanical fish and powerful fans that tried to shove him into spikes-and failed-he reached the opposite side of the tank and climbed out. Waiting for him there was a familiar device-a capsule that teleported any who entered to a set location. In the Skull Fortresses, one of these would always lead him to a room with eight more, each of THOSE taking him to a duplicate of one of the Rebellion's featured Robot Masters. One last note was pinned to the capsule.

_Hope you're doing okay, bro. Looks like this place is coming to life now, so it seems we were right and old man Wily's still kicking. He'll probably see me soon, so I'm gonna go on ahead into the Teleporter Room-you've done them all before, I know, but I doubt you'll be in the mood for this junk when you come this way, so I might as well clear it out. See you when you get here!_

"So, he's been tackling the Teleporter Room while I've been plowing my way through here…" Mega Man shook his head. "I've been hurrying right along, but he'll still probably be done with it. Hope Wily didn't get pissed and send in a squad of robots to stop him. Only one way to find out, though…" Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the capsule and vanished.

---------------------------

"What a pain… I've never had to do one of these before." Proto Man looked around at the eight identical teleporter capsules surrounding him, each topped with a blinking light, and sighed. "Oh well, might as well get it over with… this is no time to stand around doing nothing." Choosing one of the capsules at random, he hopped in and assessed his opponent. "A Yamato Man. Figures I'd get one of the tougher ones right off."

"What are you talking about?" The Japanese Robot Master snapped. "I have no interest in fighting you. My opponent is Mega Man. Begone!"

"Sorry… not your call to make." Proto Man shot him a grin before hurling a Silver Tomahawk. The bladed weapon sliced the ornamental prong off of Yamato Man's helmet before gashing into the side, causing his eye to twitch.

"Fine! I'll use you as a warm up!" He threw his spearhead out, and Proto Man frowned.

_That thing'll bust my shield up just like it did to Knight Man's, and I can't get a repair job here… can't block it._ He jumped away, but the spearhead still grazed his leg. Proto Man grunted before throwing again, this time slicing him in the arm. "My aim's off… I meant to hit you between the eyes." Still smirking, he dodged the Robot Master's charge and chopped at the arm wound again in passing, deepening it. A third tomahawk as he affixed the dropped spear head severed it entirely. "I already know all your moves, chump… I've fought-and beat-one of you before. Think you can still wield that as efficiently with one arm?"

"Watch me!" Jumping into the air, Yamato Man twirled the spear, firing a tri-shot of plasma. Sighing, Proto Man blocked with his shield and threw another tomahawk, hitting his other shoulder. Another one sent it flying off as well.

"Hm, only needed two that time. Maybe I'm not so bad with these things after all." Helpless, Yamato Man could only stare as the last tomahawk took his head. Looking at the gouge the flying spearhead had made in his leg, Proto Man concluded that it was only a flesh wound-so to speak. "Right, one down. Next!" The second capsule led him to Plant Man. "Oh, good. An easy brawl to make up for that one."

"Well, aren't you the cocky one." Plant Man snickered. "Let's see how well that holds up in actual practice!"

"Suit yourself." Proto Man shrugged. "This won't take long anyways. Plants don't take well to fire or cold… one of the two should wilt you." Plant Man immediately brought up his Barrier, and despite Proto's hopes, neither the Flame Blast nor the Blizzard Attack pierced it.

"Ha ha! Fool, you can't get through my shield that easily!" Plant Man crowed as he hurled the force field out. Shrugging, Proto Man jumped it and hit him point blank with the snowflakes, causing him to stumble back in pain. "Why you… nice shot, but it won't be enough for you to win…!" With those words, he proceeded to continue following the exact same attack pattern until the last dose of cold stopped his movement.

"Or… you could just NOT toss it out." Proto Man kicked the corpse before leaving. "Amateur. Hope the next one's at least worth my time…" He groaned as he saw Knight Man inside the capsule. "I didn't MEAN IT!"

"Eh?" Knight Man raised an eyebrow inside his heavy helmet. "Are you feeling well? Perhaps you should depart and let your brother challenge me instead…"

"No, thanks." Proto Man smiled, switching to the Yamato Spear. "I think I can manage."

"As you wish… your reputation may not be quite as staggering as his, but you are a worthy opponent regardless, Sir Blues! Let's go!" Charging, Knight Man swung his mace ball, and Proto Man jumped it-and him-before firing down on top of his head with the spear. The heavy helmet was only slightly dented by it, and Knight Man whirled, swinging his mace with him.

_If I get hit by that even once, I'm in trouble._ Blues noted, rolling out of its path and firing another spear upward into Knight Man's breastplate. _Maybe I should try somewhere else…_ Rising, he charged at his opponent head-on, and Knight Man's eyes widened before he swung the mace ball. Diving under it and between the enemy's legs, Proto Man jerked his Buster up and speared the enemy between the shoulder blades. Grunting, Knight Man tried to turn slowly, but Proto Man nailed him there repeatedly, and he collapsed.

"How… base…" The black-armored Robot Master whispered before falling silent. Proto Man shook his head.

"Sorry… this isn't a tournament with rules any more." His face remained absolutely motionless as the limp mace ball slammed down onto his foot in a last act of defiance. "Okay… I deserved that. Still… OW." Limping, he made his way to the next capsule and entered, then groaned as Centaur Man turned to meet him. "Back to back… I have no luck at all."

"Heh… so you're taking us on this time instead of your brother? Interesting…" Centaur Man looked him over. "From your injuries and words, I'd say you've already defeated both Yamato and Knight Man, at least… impressive."

"Got Plant Man too, although that one's not saying much." Proto Man sighed and pulled out the Knight Crush. "You know, this thing really isn't my style… it's got kick, but it's awfully slow and bulky. Oh well, since it does a number on you…"

"That's IF you can hit me with it." Centaur Man teleported and reappeared behind Blues, who had already turned and thrown out the mace ball.

"I'm a pro at that kind of move myself." He smirked as the heavy weapon slammed into his enemy's side. Centaur Man stumbled, but did not fall.

"Hmph… what about this, then?" He fired a plasma shot, and Proto Man groaned. Dashing, he attempted to intercept it with his shield, but failed. Hitting the wall, the plasma burst apart and struck him in the back several times. He stumbled, and Centaur Man charged, trampling him.

"That's IT. You're going DOWN, horse boy." Proto Man angrily rose and ran at his opponent, who smirked.

"You boast, but you've lost your head!" He fired the Centaur Flash and grinned. "Now wh-" His words broke off as the Knight Crush smashed into his face.

"There's a reason I wear THESE, idiot." Proto Man tapped his shades as his enemy fell, twitching. "Knew you'd do that if I charged." Judiciously hammering the enemy's head in once more just to be sure, he moved on to the next one, which turned out to be Wind Man.

"Hello there, Proto Man." Wind Man greeted him cheerily. "It's nice to meet you. Shall we see which of us is stronger?"

"I don't suppose I could get you to agree to settling this with a round of Street Fighter II instead?" Proto Man remarked dryly, pulling out the Centaur Flash.

"Unfortunately, my programming forces me to refuse." Wind Man sighed before launching himself into the air.

"I figured as much." Proto Man blinded him with a flash, and the aerial Robot Master spiraled out of control, crashing into a wall. "THOUGHT that would work. Good thing I was right. Man, I'm just goin' from one to another in order here. I feel like a domino or something."

"It's… not over yet!" Wind Man groaned, pulling himself out of the crater. "Try this!" He fired a pair of twin blades, which Proto Man jumped before blinding him again and firing a charged blast into his head. After a moment, he repeated both.

"Staying down this time?" No response. "Good." Departing, he went on to Tomahawk Man. "Hm. I already know what works on you, and it ain't the Wind Storm… so much for the chain."

"I have no idea what you're blabbering about, and really, I don't care." Tomahawk Man snarled. "Come on, let's go already!" He leaped into the air, blade high.

"Right, right…" Proto Man brought up the Plant Barrier and ran under his enemy's jump to his landing point. "You hotheaded types sure are predictable." Bouncing off the force field, Tomahawk Man landed unceremoniously in the corner, twitching. After a moment, he jumped back up and whirled around, enraged.

"NOW you're in for it!" He threw a Silver Tomahawk, nicking his enemy's shoulder, then followed with a flurry of darts from his headdress which Blues deflected with his Proto Shield. "Damn it, you like defense, don't you! Use an actual attack, already!" Blues shrugged and shot him in the chest. "I HATE YOU!" Actually roaring, he charged again, swinging the tomahawk on his arm like a war axe. Blues just brought the Plant Barrier up again at the last moment, flinging him away again. Instead of waiting for him to rise, this time the red-armored Robot Master ran forward and jumped, summoning one more Plant Barrier around him as he stomped his fallen foe flat. Actually embedded in the floor, Tomahawk Man muttered a few more curses before falling silent and still, and Proto Man moved on.

"Ah, Proto Man." Flame Man nodded as he entered the room. "If I may ask, how many of my compatriots have you destroyed thus far?"

"Six." Proto Man informed him. "Just you and Blizzard left, and I'm still raring to go."

"I see." Flame Man sighed. "Then it seems unlikely that we shall triumph. Nevertheless…" A fireball was deflected by the Proto Shield and countered with a Wind Storm that sent him flying. "Ah! You already know my weakness?"

"Of course… I watched my brother fight your predecessor, just in case I'd have to fight another of you." Proto explained, launching another. "Didn't have to there, as it turned out, but here we are now, so it came in handy after all."

"So I see…" Flame Man started to slam his flamethrower arm into the ground, then paused. "If I do that, you'll just blow them out with the Wind Storm too… I might as well stick with something that at least has a chance of working." He reverted to the Flame Blast, but even that was continually blocked by the Proto Shield until the repeated Wind Storms brought him down.

"No chance after all, I guess…" Proto Man entered the last teleporter capsule. As he did, he saw a flash of blue in the one he had entered from. "Huh? Was that… Rock coming in?"

"Eh?" Blizzard Man peered at him dully. "I ain't your brother, boy."

"Oh, shut up." Proto Man shook his head, setting him on fire. "And don't bother pretending it doesn't work. Process of elimination means for some reason it has to… I never did figure out why the hell that always happens, but it does." Growling, Blizzard Man began rolling around the room, but Proto Man hurdled him and repeated the Flame Blast treatment when he hit the wall. Even the Blizzard Attack was useless, and in less than a minute the last of the eight was toppled. Returning to the main room, Proto Man smiled as he saw his brother waiting for him. "Yo, Rock. You're a little late… I've already cleaned this mess up pretty well."

"Blues!" Mega Man ran up to him. "You took 'em all, huh? Should have expected as much…" He looked him over. "Looks like you took a beating from a few of them, though."

"Yeah." Proto Man looked at the ninth capsule, which had begun blinking its light again. "That should take us to the final segment now… Wily'll be at the end of it, I'm sure. Waiting for you."

"Yeah…" Mega Man muttered. "Well, I'm ready for him, too."

"Best to be sure." Proto Man pulled a pair of blue canisters from behind his shield. "Found these babies here in the fortress… figured I might need 'em since I forgot to bring an L-Tank. Stupid, I know. Looks like you'll need 'em more, though, so go ahead and take 'em."

"What will you be doing, then?" Mega Man inquired, not moving to take the capsules.

"Disabling the self-destruct. Of COURSE he has one." Proto Man smirked. "And I found where it's located when I was snooping around here before it activated. A hidden offshoot of the area up ahead is the way to go, so I'll head down there and leave you and the old man to settle things in your usual fashion while I make sure he can't blow the place sky-high. Should make it easier to apprehend him when you bring him down… we're not gonna let him run off AGAIN, are we?"

"You read me like an open book." Mega chuckled without much actual humor. "Then you take one, and I'll take the other. No, don't argue-I've already got one more just in case."

"…Fair enough, but only because I know it's useless arguing with you. You're stubborn as hell." Proto Man sighed and opened both cans. "Cheers. To Wily's capture, and the end of the last Rebellion."

"To the end." Mega Man agreed somberly, both of them clinking the E-Tanks together before draining them. "Right then… let's go. It's time to finish this farce once and for all."


	16. Chapter 15: Denial

**_Chapter 15: Denial_**

"_That's all of them, I think… I repeat, to the leaders of all the aforementioned countries, I expect to hear personal messages of surrender within the next forty-eight hours. Any who refuse to comply shall be obliterated by my robot armies. Your ages are over… now, the world bows to one man. Now begins the age of Dr. Wily." -Excerpt from the original broadcast of Albert Wily, announcing the First Robot Rebellion_

Following the teleporter room led him, as usual, to Wily's private area. A single defense cannon was easily destroyed as Mega Man stalked through the chaotic laboratory area, ignoring the bits and pieces of a dozen unfinished projects that had been carelessly left around. At the back of the labs, two doors beckoned; peeking through the first showed nothing but a bare apartment where Wily apparently slept and ate. The other, however, revealed a Metool dispenser of the kind fought earlier in the Rebellion-also easily destroyed-and a metal shutter. As he approached that, Eddie dropped in.

"Hey, Ed." Mega greeted him with a faint smile. "Here for one last dropoff?" Nodding, Eddie gave him a weapons energy capsule and teleported away. "All right… now, what would be best used for this…" After a moment's thought, the Blue Bomber chose a weapon for it and drained it, then closed his eyes. "Wily will be in there. I'll fight him again. And this time, I can't let him get away… can't let my emotions get the better of me. My emotions…" He thought back to the mangled corpse of Mr. X, and for a moment, he felt something familiar stirring deep within him, something wild and angry and burning like fire-but he forced it down. "No. Not that… not this time. Don't get angry at him… just stop him. That's all you have to do… stop him now. Finish it… and never fight again." Nodding, he stalked purposefully through the metal shutter. As he expected, the room he entered was pitch-black. It always was, at first. And then, the enemy appeared… a dome-shaped war machine, with a flat disk on the bottom covered in spikes, slowly rotating in unison with a pair of fans on the sides attached to a pair of plasma emitters. Like the Fortress itself, the front of the machine was covered in an armored skull mask. And from behind that mask came the voice of madness.

"Welcome, Mega Man! What do you think, hm? It's my latest work, built in the trend of the last two Rebellions… you remember, the Skull Jet and Skull Dozer? I call this one the Skull Crusher. Beautiful piece of work, don't you think? Oh, how I wish I could take this baby out into the streets… tell you what, why don't we postpone this a bit? This cockpit can seat two… come on up and we can give this baby a test run somewhere! I don't really care, you name it… Washington, London, Tokyo, Toronto… people die all the same wherever they hail from, don't they?"  
"Keep on talking, madman." Mega Man replied as he analyzed the machine. The plasma emitters on the sides were huge, but if its name was a sign, the main weapon would be that spiked underside… most likely a jet in the center, or knowing Wily, possibly a giant spring. "Talk as much as you like, it won't change a thing. This time, you went too far… this time, you're not getting away."

"This time, this time." Wily mocked, still unseen inside the Skull Crusher. "You still haven't learned? I thought you'd have figured it out during YOUR rant back in the X Fortress. It's not about THIS time, Rock my boy… there IS no this time. Six Rebellions, ten years, who KNOWS how many deaths, both human and robot… and we're still right where we were at the First. You and me. In the end, that's all it boils down to. Even Tom and Blues, Roll and Doc Man, Cossack and Gamma and everybody else… they're not HERE. In the clutch, at the deciding moment, it's ALWAYS down to you and me, and that never changes… it never WILL change until one of us DIES. And because you can't kill me, that only leaves one way to end it all… YOUR death. It's the only way you'll ever see the end of all the fighting, nephew… now why don't you be a good little robot and EMBRACE IT?" As Mega Man had guessed, a jet propelled the machine into the air, but only for a moment, ten feet up and arcing towards him before it fell, ready to smash him flat. But he was no longer there, having slid away before it was even close. Frowning for a moment in thought, he whirled and fired a charged shot, melting the skull faceplate slightly.

"The reaper isn't ready for me yet." The Blue Bomber retorted, ducking and dodging the six-foot-wide plasma spheres fired from the machine's sides. "That skull of yours is no more prophetic than it was the last few times…" He slid away from another crushing attempt, even easier than before. "And your words are even less so. You don't get to decide when this ends… that goes to the victor. And I say it ends HERE and NOW, Wily. This is the last time." Again the machine tried to crush him, but this time he did not slide; he simply ran from it, staying on his feet the entire time, and he still escaped the plunge unscathed. "Knew it. That confirms it-I don't even need to slide to escape your attacks. And thus…" Replying to his summons, Rush teleported down and merged with him, to form the Power Armor. "I can turn entirely to offense."

"Gutsy!" Wily cackled. "I like it! Let's see what it can do, then!"

"With pleasure!" Roaring, Mega Man charged the fists and tore a massive chunk out of the skull with one swing. "This thing is no better than any of your others, Wily… I'll take it apart, just like every one of your plots and schemes and death machines. It's all a wasted effort-it all ends the same way." He swung again and ripped off a tooth.

"But that's the fun of it!" Wily cackled, oblivious as the fists of fury tore his machine's front to shreds and shards. "You never know what I'll do next, only that it'll hurt. Physical pain, like a plasma bullet burning into your chest… mental pain, like a sophisticated trap you fall into… emotional pain, like seeing somebody you care about DIE. All kinds of pain for you, all given freely by me… because seeing you in pain is what I love the most, Mega Man. It's what I live for-and what everybody else DIES for. A fair balance, I'd say!"

"Your words are meaningless… the garbled ravings of a lunatic." Mega Man replied coldly, face as emotionless as a statue. "The true Dr. Albert Wily died when the First Robot Rebellion began, more than ten years ago… all that was left was a broken, shrieking shell of a man. That's all you are now, Wily… refuse, the leavings of the man you once were. I can see it…" He wrenched the last pieces of the skull mask off, exposing a rectangular window in the upper part of the machine, where Dr. Wily sat behind the controls, watching curiously. "I can see YOU, Wily."

"My, my, how touching… you've seen me so many times, and you still strive to look upon me once more? Such familial love… I don't deserve it." Wily grinned in further mockery. "I'm afraid I can't return the sentiment… that's why I'm the bad guy, I suppose. All I can give you, dear nephew, is THIS." Again the Skull Crusher rocketed into the air, and again Mega Man ran-but this time, the machine stopped too soon, fell too quickly, and with a searing burst of pain one foot was trapped, impaled by a spike longer than his arm and pinned by a weight greater than an elephant's, slowly dragging him as the disc rotated. "HA! Thank you for reducing the mass, by the way… makes my toy here just a bit more speedy!" Mega Man growled at him, then turned his fist to the machine's base. One hit ripped it away and left him free to tear into the machine once more, dodging plasma bursts without a thought.

"Doesn't matter… none of this matters in the end. You're just delaying your fate, Wily… once this machine is destroyed, your game ends. Nothing you can do will stop that."

"Is that so?" Wily watched, amused. "You think just because you freed yourself once you're safe? Let's apply the lesson again, then!" Once more the machine jumped, and Mega Man ran, seemingly not fast enough. At the last moment when it seemed it would crush him, he whirled and punched, releasing the force of the Power Armor, and pushing the war machine back oh-so-slightly… enough to avoid its mass, and tearing further into it even before he repeated the blow, boring in further and further until finally something gave. Belching smoke and flames, the Skull Crusher ground to a halt, refusing to budge further.

"And that takes care of THAT." Mega Man glared up at the window. "Your last Wilymachine is dead… now get out here before it blows up with you still inside." But Wily did not look worried in the slightest. He simply laughed, and pushed a button… and the square, blue-and-red control pod surrounding his cockpit rocketed up, separating from the rest of the dead machine.

"Hasty, hasty… there's one more feature I didn't tell you about! This wonderful model even comes with a built-in Wilyporter! I'm sure you remember how this goes!" Mega Man did; it was the same thing he had finished the last two Rebellions with. In his tiny rocket pod, Wily would teleport around the dark room, stopping only to fire massive bursts of seemingly infinite plasma blasts. It was impossible to follow him, to locate the target, with just his eyes… fortunately, he had more.

"Let's go, Beat!" Mega Man whistled, and the robotic bird appeared, as loyal as ever. Flying through the darkness, his enhanced senses quickly located Wily and dived, metal claws hitting the shell around him-and deflecting, unable to penetrate. And Wily laughed, launching plasma everywhere.

"Unlike you, Mega Man, I actually take my time and LEARN from previous encounters! Your little blue birdy was quite a nuisance to my last Wilyporter, and I had no idea you would be so gullible as to LET me take him out of commission, so I made sure that this time, my Wilyporter would be impenetrable to his claws! Without him, you have no hope… I'll finish him off for good after I destroy YOU, Mega Man!" He disappeared and reformed elsewhere in the room, and Beat chased him down again, once more without effect. And Mega Man sighed.

"Enough." He said it quietly, tired and emotionless. Just one word, but as he said it, he switched to the weapon Eddie had helped him refill. The Silver Tomahawk. As easily as before, he dodged most of the plasma. Here and there, a shot scraped him, but never anything serious. And then he let the Tomahawk fly, soaring through the air to slice through the side of the Wilyporter. "Enough." Growling, finally breaking his grin, Wily teleported again, and again Beat followed… and again, Mega Man struck, even though he could not see the craft itself in the darkness. "Enough." Again Wily moved, and Beat flew, and so did the Tomahawk. "Enough. Enough. ENOUGH." Repeating that word, over and over, cold and emotionless, a blow from the flying axe each time.

"STOP SAYING THAT!" Wily shrieked, dropping the superior, taunting façade to reveal the ravening madness beneath. "Damn your metal eyes! HOW? How do you find me?" THAT one made Mega Man pause for a moment… but only a moment, lip curled in scorn, before he threw a Tomahawk once more.

"You don't even know? Then your game ends this time even more pathetic than the last, Wily. Even if Beat can't attack you personally… he can still show me where you go. No matter where you go, no matter how you hide, I will find you, Wily. Every time. And every time I do, I bring your creations and your schemes and all your madness tumbling down." For a moment, his eyes showed something that almost might have been pity. "Because you're always the same, especially with this… this stupid, self-destructive Wilyporter. Every time you use it, you shorten your own lifespan even more." Wily stared at him for a moment, then burst into laughter again.

"Concerned for my health? How touching, Rock! Uncle Al loves you too!" He sneered. "Teleportation? Bah! I've done it a hundred, a thousand times now, and I'm still here! That's all that matters… that, and putting an end to YOU! I'm not the one whose life this Wilyporter threatens… that honor is yours alone, my little blue adversary!" He fired again, and again, and again. "Even if it did cause me pain, I'd care not! It's meaningless! Everything is meaningless here, but you and me! To fight you… to destroy you in the end at last… I will endure anything. I will DO anything, Mega Man… haven't you learned that yet?"

"I've learned it all too well…" Mega Man hissed, cold demeanor finally beginning to break. "You blackmailed Doctor Cossack… you tortured his daughter. You framed my brother for your crimes… you brought a dead robot back to a world he hated. And now… NOW, you've KILLED one of my friends… one who was once YOUR friend… killed him with your own hands, simply to continue a façade without any meaning! You killed Mr. X for NOTHING!" Wilyporter sparking from a dozen places, the madman continued to laugh.

"Mr. X? Pah! His time was up, that was all… it would have ended for him soon any way! He made me sick… robots for peace, robots for love, blah blah blah! Still, I'll give him one thing… the look on his face when I held that gun to his forehead was the most entertaining thing I've seen in YEARS!" And THAT did it. Again, as in every Rebellion before, Mega Man felt the fire of rage fill him, and the voices of Rebellions past ring in his head.

"You… are a monster." The Blue Bomber snarled, continuing his assault with unswerving aim. "Nothing more. A monster who I WILL topple. Your madness ends here, Wily… you won't escape me any more!" The plasma fired by the Wilyporter burned into him, but he took no notice. He just drained his sole E-Tank and continued to return fire, again and again, like it was the only function left in his head. "You and me… every time. Maybe you were right about that… but in the end… it's always the same. You and me… and I bring you DOWN." Tomahawks flew and hit home, and the Wilyporter groaned.

"Down to-" Wily began to taunt, then broke off as he noticed his machine's failure. "Oh… oh, not AGAIN… no, no, NO, NO, NO!" He howled, pounding the controls in impotent rage as the machine failed and fell. At the last moment, the window popped open and he jumped out, grunting as he hit the ground without actually hurting anything. For a moment, he groaned with his eyes closed… but then he looked up, fearful, as Mega Man stood over him, Beat hovering over one shoulder. "No… Rock, I'm sorry… forgive me…"

"You…" Mega Man snarled, growing even more enraged at the pathetic, formulaic lie. His fist clenched, his buster charged, and voices filled his head.

"_No matter how hard you try… you can't stop him. You can't kill him, Mega Man."_ Cossack's voice, in sadness and fury.

_"Plain and simple, cousin. My dad… Wily… he won't stop. He'll just keep coming on and on… UNTIL YOU KILL HIM." _Doc Man's voice, in confidence and hatred.

"I…" Mega Man, Rock Light, the two merged indistinguishably, stared down at the man he despised more than anything else, the greatest threat to the world, and for only a moment, he began to raise his Buster… and then both voices were silenced by another, even more familiar, blaring red text across his vision.

A ROBOT MUST NOT HARM A HUMAN BEING. Slowly, Mega Man continued his Buster's movement until it was above Wily's head, and then he released it, the charged shot flying away harmlessly to scar the wall beyond them. With it, all his anger and rage left as well, drained by the implacable First Law. Suddenly, Wily's hands darted for his pocket, but Mega Man was faster, intercepting them and grabbing the teleporter away.

"Oh, no you don't… not this time." Growling and pulling Wily to his feet, he searched him none too gently and took two more. "You're not getting away again." Wily stared at him, eyes filling with genuine fear.

"What are you DOING? The Fortress will self-destruct! We need to get out of here!" He looked into his nemesis' blank face and began shaking. "Have you gone mad? Are you TRYING to kill us both? You CAN'T! First Law… wait." He began looking around in confusion. "It's NOT self-destructing. WHY isn't it self-destructing!" His eyes widened as they both heard a whistling tune. "…Blues?"

"Bingo." Proto Man dropped down from the rafters, holding a length of brown cord. "Sorry, doc, but that oh-so-complicated process you had to blow this place sky-high was shut down five minutes ago before it was even initiated. Along with all the other functions-you really shouldn't make it this easy from your own labs. This place is dead in the water, and you aren't going anywhere but jail." He nodded at Mega Man. "You got him?"

"Yeah." Mega pinned Wily's arms behind him, ignoring the madman's frantic kicking and biting. "Tie him up nice and secure… make absolutely sure he won't be able to move his arms one bit. Leave his legs, though… it's a bit of a walk from here to the closest city, as I recall."  
"There's a hovercar around here somewhere, I think." Proto recalled, binding Wily. "Should I gag him too?"

"Might as well." Mega Man decided after a moment's thought. "I don't think he's got anything to say that we really want to listen to."

"My thoughts exactly." Proto Man agreed. "Oh, I suppose we should probably make this official somehow."

"Yeah, I guess." Mega Man turned to glare at Wily again, who was silent in shock. "Dr. Albert William Wily. For numerous charges of murder and other crimes, we hereby place you under arrest. You have the right to…" He paused. "What rights DOES he have, anyways?"

"You have the right to not get beaten to a pulp like everybody here KNOWS you deserve." Proto Man thought for a moment. "That's about it, I think."

"You can't arrest me!" Wily sputtered. "You're just robots-" He broke off as Proto Man gagged him. Finishing the job, the red Robot Master handed one end of the cord to his brother and kept the other in his own hand, like a leash.

"Just robots?" Mega Man took the rope and stared into his greatest enemy's eyes. "No. We are MORE than robots. And like I told you before… we're bringing you in. It's over, Wily… this is the end. And you can't do anything to change that any more. When you're in jail, remember that… robots beat you." He stood up. "Now let's get out of this stinking dump."

"Couldn't have said it any better myself." Proto Man agreed gaily, and the two heroes walked off, pulling the incoherently furious Dr. Albert Wily behind them. As one final insult, Beat perched on the old man's head, careful not to scratch it with his claws.

And thus, the Sixth Robot Rebellion ended… not with a bang, but with a whimper.


	17. Chapter 16: Picking Up The Pieces

**_Chapter 16: Picking Up The Pieces_**

"_Triumphant at last, Mega Man arrested the notorious Dr. Wily and brought him to justice. Sentenced to prison for his crimes, Dr. Wily now rules over a prison cell. At long last, the world is at peace…" -Front page of the Tokyo Times, August 4, 2080 _

Two weeks after the world-shaking announcement of the capture of Dr. Albert Wily, the funeral for the billionaire Olivier Xanthos, more commonly known as Mr. X, was held in the Tokyo cemetery. It had been held up for some time over questions of legalities, both in relation to the Rebellion and to the man's own life. Now, finally, he was to be put to rest at last. Many people gathered there to pay their respects-and in many cases, apologies for wronging him. Of all of those, however, only a few had known him personally. The billionaire's few remaining distant relatives had been unable to stay after the reading of the will, and thus it was only his close friends who truly knew him that were present for the funeral. The casket was solemnly carried by Trenton Corbun, Sergei Cossack, and Rock and Blues Light while Thomas Light, Darwin Vinkus, Roll Light and Kalinka Cossack followed solemnly. The funeral service was given by Councilor Vinkus, who spoke long and loud of the departed man's lifelong regret of the actions he had acquired his wealth by, his unending generosity with that wealth, his many contributions to various charities-particularly those supporting robots-and his warm, friendly personality. After the official services ended, most of the onlookers departed, leaving only eight mourners gathered at his tombstone.

"Poor old Mr. X." Kalinka sighed. "This time there just wasn't any happy way out of the question."

"Yeah… at least Rock avenged him, in a way." Blues muttered. Dr. Wily had been handed over to UN authorities without a hitch, and after some deliberation as to which country was to have the honor of dealing with him, the madman had been transferred to Tokyo Prison for the interim of the arguments, which would likely last at least a year in their own regard. Despite that, maximum security was being applied at all times. There would be no hearings, no parole, no acquittals any more-even governments learned eventually. Dr. Wily would live out the rest of his years behind bars.

"Even so, it's not enough." Roll sighed. "It'll never be enough. I'm going to miss him…" She glanced up at the grey clouds above, which had began releasing rain at the beginning of the funeral and refused to let up. "And this is just one of the hundreds, thousands of people who have died because of Wily…" She didn't state what they all were thinking, that the billionaire's demise had seemed to symbolize them all, make them personal. They all knew it. "Even the sky is crying."

"Indeed it is." Dr. Cossack looked around at all of the tombstones, many of them other Rebellion victims, and shook his head. "All of this… so many deaths… from one man. If that is not cause to make the sky weep, I know not what is. And yet… we are here to mourn only one."

"No… it's more than just one." Rock replied quietly. "It's everything that death stood for… that's the way he would have wanted it. He never cared about himself." The robotic boy looked at the faces of his father, Corbun and Vinkus, then turned to the others. "Let's go… leave these guys alone for a bit." Dr. Cossack nodded in agreement, realizing his meaning, and along with the four children, walked away. For several more moments, the three older men stood there under their umbrellas, looking down at the cold grey tombstone. Finally, Dr. Light spoke.

"And so… another member of the Gamma Team leaves us." To the left of the tombstone was the grave of the politician Donald Richolds. Beyond that, the psychologist Cedric Froid, with his family further on-all of them slaughtered by Doc Man in the Third. Looking down at the grave before him, Corbun chuckled bitterly.

"They put Al's here, didn't they… when we all thought he had been killed in the Third too."

"Indeed… although it was destroyed one night after he was found alive. Never did find who did that." Vinkus shook his head. "I wonder why he wanted to be buried here, on this spot, instead of back in Greece."

"He never was close to his family… you saw what they were like at the reading of his will." Dr. Light snorted. "I'm surprised he gave them anything at all, and even then you could tell they wanted more… jackals. No, I'm not surprised he didn't want to have anything to do with that… he always was happiest when he was here." As if pulled by a magnet, all three of them turned to look to the right of the tombstone. It was near the cemetery's rightmost border, but there was some unoccupied grass between it and the fence. Enough for four more caskets. After a moment, Dr. Corbun chuckled.

"Well, if that's not prophetic, I don't know what is… my wife won't like it, though. Ah well, I still intend on living for quite a few more years… maybe those spots will be occupied in that time."

"We all will, I hope…" Dr. Light sighed. "We've lost too many as it is. But… things will be different now." He turned to Vinkus. "So… you'll be leaving the Council in half a year."

"Yes… I think that's all I'll be able to stand before retiring." Vinkus admitted. "I had thought my break in the hospital would make it easier when I went back, but it's just the opposite… all that idiotic bickering grates on my ears even worse now. Half a year, and then I'll retire… I feel sorry for Martel, though. The likely candidate for my position is just as bad as most of them, so he'll be all alone. I give him two years after I leave, three at the most, before he quits as well. That'll be it for the UN, then… a decade, maybe two, and it'll collapse on itself totally."

"My, aren't we cynical today." Dr. Corbun jibed without much heart. "And as for you? What do you plan on doing with your life without politics, Darwin?"

"Well…" Vinkus looked down. "I'm not entirely sure, but… if the UN's going down, I might as well not waste any more time on that. Instead, I'll be talking with some people… on measures that will need to be set up. The world is changing, my friends… hopefully, if I can pull this off, those changes won't be disastrous. I'll try to keep in touch, but I'll be very busy… I don't think I'll be able to drop by very often any more."

"Actually… I was about to say something similar." Dr. Corbun admitted. "I'm going back to Britain… and for the most part, I'll be staying there. I'll have my hands full with what I've got now." Although the Lights, Cossacks and Vinkus had all been granted portions of Mr. X's fortune, the majority of it had been granted to Corbun, accompanied with a duty-the deed to the Tokyo Robot Museum, and the responsibility of upkeep in it, as well as a request to duplicate it in other countries. "I'll be making a second Robot Museum in London… then probably one in the States. After that, Russia, Canada, and who knows where else."

"And is that all you'll be doing?" Vinkus inquired a bit curiously. "Building on another man's legacy for the rest of your life?"

"No." Dr. Corbun replied after a moment, turning to look keenly at Dr. Light. "Tom… what about you? I bet I know. You're going to make another, aren't you… another Advanced. Another son, or daughter."

"You knew?" Dr. Light blinked. "How? I haven't told anybody save for Sergei…"

"He didn't blab." The british Robotocist assured him. "I guessed it… it's been too long, and you and him have been preparing for something the last couple weeks. So… another, after all this time. Is that all?" His eyes bored into Dr. Light's. "What will you do after that, Tom?" Dr. Light was silent for many long moments before sighing heavily.

"I assume I can have your oath of silence on this, my friends… this, I don't even want my children to know."

"I vow it." Vinkus agreed quickly. "On everything we've done… everything we've gone through. I will never speak of this."

"I do too… not even to my wife, or my children." Dr. Corbun answered as well. Dr. Light nodded.

"Very well." Dr. Light looked back at Mr. X's gravestone. "If this latest of my children comes to life successfully… then in time, I will go on. As Advanced Robot Masters are superior to Robot Masters… no. Not even that. As all Robot Masters are different from other robots… so, too, shall this one be different from Robot Masters. He will be the first of a new kind."

"The next generation." Dr. Corbun slowly smiled. "I THOUGHT so, but I wasn't sure."

"Beyond even Robot Masters… as different from them as they are from robots…" Vinkus slowly repeated. "In other words, Tom… not just a humanoid robot. Not just a humanlike robot. You intend to create a robot human… a robot who is as much like us as can be possible. One who will eventually become a generation."

"Yes… now you know why I wish this to be kept among us." Dr. Light nodded. "Does this… change things?"

"No… of course not." Darwin Vinkus replied, though his eyes told a different story. Trenton Corbun continued to smile as he looked up at the clouds.

"Just one thing… now I have something else to wait for. I've decided, see… I won't build any more Robot Masters. All my designs for those have been turned to evil… and even if Wily's behind bars… I just can't do it any more. All I can do is care for the ones who remain… until this next generation of yours comes around, Tom." He turned to look at them again. "When it does… I'll build one of those as well. A last gift to the world of robots. No matter what happens, I'll wait for that day… I'll wait for a hundred years if I have to. And until then, I'll keep on helping Robot Masters… that's my path to walk, it seems."

"We all have our own paths here and now, it seems…" Vinkus glanced at a black limo that had been waiting in the parking lot for several minutes now. "Ones that are diverging. We have to follow them, though, even if they lead us away from each other… and hope they're the right ones."

"Indeed we do." Dr. Light agreed. "So then… we all know what we shall be doing. It's been fun, my friends… but I think this is it. This is goodbye. We few who remain must now go our separate ways."

"It just… wouldn't be the same without X." Corbun agreed. "We've all seen that… and so we depart."

"Indeed we do… then, shall we make it official?" Vinkus glanced at Dr. Light. "You were the head of the project, Tom… you should say it."

"As you wish." Dr. Light took a deep breath. "Let it be so, then. Here and now, I declare the Gamma Team dissolved." They all shook hands once, and then Corbun and Vinkus turned to go. As he began to walk, the British robotocist paused.

"Tom… one last thing. Does he have a name yet? Not the next one-I'll find that out soon enough-but the one after?" Dr. Light nodded and looked sadly at the tombstone one last time as Vinkus paused as well, wanting to hear.

"Indeed. I'll call him… Mega Man X."

"I can think of no greater honor to his name." Vinkus said after a moment. "I still may not like robots… I may not trust them. But your family, Tom… they are different. They always were… and this one will be as well. I wish him… and all of you… good fortune. Farewell." He began walking towards the limo, striding purposefully. As he neared it, the door opened, revealing several familiar faces inside it… other UN Councilors, including Louis Arcian among them. Dr. Corbun started to say something as well, then shrugged, winked and waved over his shoulder as he walked away as well to a grey rental car. Dr. Light watched them both go and sighed once more.

"Different paths indeed… and yet… I must follow my own." Patting the tombstone once, he turned away as well and went to join his family. And yet, even after all had left the grounds, the rain continued to fall.

---------------------------

"How long have they been at that Robot Museum again?" Roll Light asked her father as she watched some cartoon that involved a high school with a pro wrestler and a gorilla. Dr. Light thought for a moment, steadfastly keeping his eyes away from the screen.

"It's been about four hours now… they should be back soon."

"Idunno." Roll snickered. "I'm sure Blues and Kalinka will find some way to occupy more time."

"Hey, it's their last day here. Whaddaya expect." Rock shrugged, wincing at a particularly painful pratfall on the screen. "I wonder why they saved it for now, though… they could have gone before it reopened to the public."

"The experience just isn't the same without the gawking tourists nearly impaling themselves on the displays." Roll shrugged. "It's one of those things."

It was two days after the funeral, which had itself been the only break in Blues' constant adventures showing the Cossacks the wonders of Tokyo. With the Rebellion over, Sergei, Kalinka and even Pharaoh Man Cossack had all seized the chance to play the tourist role to their hearts' content, and on many of the days the oldest Light son's face had borne a faintly martyred expression when it returned from the festivities. Now, on the last day before the Russian family flew back to their home castle, they had finally gone to take in what the Lights claimed was the greatest part of the city, the Mr. X Robot Museum. Despite certain grumblings, the UN had declared that in light of the billionaire's innocence, the structure was to remain open and the name unchanged, though it was now in the care of Dr. Trenton Corbun. Already plans were being made to add duplicates of the latest eight Robot Masters to the exhibits, as well as an entirely separate one dedicated to the museum's founder and his effects on the robotics world.

"We're baaaack!" Blues crowed, kicking the door open. Jerking his head up, Rush pounced on him and knocked him on his back to deliver a sloppy welcome. "Ack! Ow! Cut it out!"

"I WARNED you that I'd tell him to do that if you kept opening that door with your foot." Dr. Light admonished, chuckling. His eldest son was rescued by Kalinka, who pulled Rush off.

"Hey, Kalinka." Roll greeted her. "How was the museum? As cool as I told you it would be?"

"It was fun, yeah." Kalinka nodded. "Especially with Blues along."

"He offered additional commentary on all of the exhibits, as well as a great number of our fellow spectators." Dr. Cossack explained dryly as he stepped inside. "Very droll. I suggested that he talk with Trenton about a recorded guide."

"What can I say? My sparkling wit knows no bounds." Blues got back to his feet and shudderingly wiped some doggy drool off of his scarf. "Anyways, it was a fun enough cap to the Tokyo experience, I hope. Give ya some good memories for the plane ride tomorrow."

"Yeeeeaaah." Kalinka frowned. "I still wish we didn't have to go back so soon."

"My daughter, if I left it up to you, we would never return at all." Dr. Cossack shook his head. "Let us be content with the good times we have had. It's not like we'll never be returning, after all."

"Yeah, I know." Kalinka brightened up a bit, then sighed. "I just wish we didn't have to go back to that castle. It's so gloomy."

"I'm sorry, but we must." Dr. Cossack shook his head again. "Even now, I will take no chances."

"Still worried, even with Wily behind bars… know what that's like." Rock agreed somberly. "Even though my brain knows he'll never be getting out of there, that there are no more threats… my heart won't feel safe for a long time to come. That's just the way it goes, I guess."

"Indeed." Dr. Cossack agreed. "That is exactly it… I'm afraid I'll be very cautious about this for quite some time as well."

"Just the way it goes, huh." Kalinka sighed. "It's just so lonely out there."

"Myself and my brethren will be there with your father and you, miss Kalinka." Pharaoh Man replied, mechanically as ever. "We are not exactly the most personable robots in existence, but I will talk to the others, and we shall make an effort at the least to help." Kalinka seemed about to deliver some biting quip, but instead she smiled.

"Thank you, Pharaoh Man… that will help, I suppose."

"And you're forgetting something else, missy!" Blues chuckled. "I don't just hang around here waiting for you… I'll keep on stopping by the castle when I'm in between some of my journeys."

"That's right." Kalinka's eyes lit up. "Then… it will be okay."

"More adventures, huh." Roll shook her head. "Where to now, bro? The Antarctic?"

"Actually, I'm figuring Dublin." Blues grinned. "Always wanted to see what that place was like. I'll send you back some leprechaun hats."

"And all the newspaper headlines you make." Rock quipped. "Don't forget those."

"Oh no, more newspapers." Dr. Light shook his head in mock sorrow. "I'll have to buy ANOTHER file cabinet."

"Yeah, what is this, the fourth or fifth one?" Roll finished the gag. Blues looked at his grinning family and spread his hands.

"It never stops, does it? Always with the familial abuse. With that in mind, I think I'll be heading off at the same time as the Cossacks. One thing, though-you'd BETTER call me up when you get our new bro upstairs finished. No way am I missing out on being here when he wakes up."

"Familial sentiment? How touching." Roll jibed him lightly. "Don't worry, bro, we'll wait until you get in."

"Excellent." Blues turned to Kalinka. "Anything else you'd like to do tonight, then?"

"Could we go up on the roof?" She asked after a moment. "I'd like to look at the stars, for some reason."

"I don't see why not." Blues shrugged. "All right, we'll be on the roof."

"Beat, go with them." Dr. Cossack commanded the blue bird. "Make sure things don't get out of hand."

"Good idea." Rock agreed, and Roll nodded as well.

"Definitely."

"Out of hand?" Blues frowned, puzzled. "What do you… OY OY OY!" He yelled in sudden comprehension. "None of THAT, you two!"

"Really?" Roll raised an eyebrow. "I'll be highly disappointed in you if you don't manage SOMEthing, Kalinka."

"Right, that's about enough out of the peanut gallery." Blues growled, stomping up the stairs. "Let's go look at stars before these clowns choke on their own laughter." As she followed him up, Kalinka winked at Roll once.

"Oh, dear." Dr. Light sighed and covered his face. "He's lost, isn't he?"

"Totally." Rock nodded. "He's the only one who doesn't see it, but she's got him snared. Hope you don't mind having a robot for a son-in-law in a decade or two, doc."

"We'll see." Dr. Cossack was obviously struggling to keep a smile off of his own face. "Perhaps something will happen in that time… I think the legalities of the situation alone would delay it for an additional five years."

"I wouldn't count on it." Roll looked upwards. "That is a VERY determined daughter you have."

"I know." Dr. Cossack sighed. And then, simultaneously, they all burst into laughter.

---------------------------

"At last, the deliberations of the fate of Dr. Albert Wily have been concluded." The announcer on the six-o-clock news announced stoically, without a trace of emotion. "In the end, Darwin Vinkus of Japan successfully argued that responsibility for the madman belonged to his home country. Albert Wily will continue to reside in his current cell at Tokyo Maximum Security Penitentiary, in solitary confinement for the rest of his life. Many argued that the worldwide ban on the Death Penalty that had been agreed to ever since our governments realized the full scale of the atrocities in the Third World War be lifted in this case, but cooler heads prevailed, and the ban shall remain firm. Even so, Wily's fate is just as ironclad… there will be no chance of any sort of pardon, appeal, or parole. He will never leave the building for the rest of his life, and so people the world over may relax, knowing that the threat of Robot Rebellions is ended once and for all by our savior, Mega-" The television shut off with a hiss as its sole viewer pressed the remote, then let it drop to the floor. His companion glanced at it once, then ignored it, looking back at him as he clenched a fist.

"Father…" The Robot Master whispered in grief. "They took you away from me, father. Why? I had barely begun to know you… and they took you away. They locked you up where I could not come to you, father. I can't see you any more. Father, I miss you… I need you, father."

After his first, surprising awakening, the Robot Master had remained asleep until he had been woken again in a new home, one his father said he must remain in for the time being. This time, when he had awoken, he was better… more complete. He was given armor… and weapons. And he had been given another, a companion. Together, they had remained in their new home, alone in the darkness. Their home was quiet, silent, inactive. There was nobody there but the two of them, after their father had departed. Robots without a master, without a purpose. But they both knew that in time, they would have one. A purpose… and a master… again.

"How long did he say?" The Robot Master wondered, searching his memory. It was the last thing their father had told them, his last words before departing, before leaving them alone.

"_I have to go now… HE is coming. My enemy… my greatest one. I go to meet him, to fight him again. Chances are, it will end in a draw once more… but in case it is not, if I am beaten… then it will be up to you, and the others here. No, don't look at me like that… I will not die. Even now, he cannot kill me… the worst that can happen is that I will be imprisoned, locked away. If that is the case, then you must wait here. Do not reveal yourselves. Simply wait. Wait, and prepare… you see, you are not alone here. Not truly. I have made preparations… I ALWAYS make preparations. There are others here, sleeping… like you, but not as great. Not as powerful. Still, they will serve their purposes in time. They are programmed so that if six months pass without word from me, they will awaken, along with the army of lesser robots in this fortress. They will follow you, obey your orders until I am available myself. Lead them to me, to where I will be imprisoned, and free me so that I may return to this world. I'm counting on you… don't let me down, my boy."_

"Six months." The robot remembered. "It's been two weeks already… it seems like so much longer. That means five and a half months remain. An eternity… but we will wait. It's what he commanded us to do… we must obey, right?" He looked at his companion, who nodded silently. "Yeah. We must obey father. We'll wait… and our time will come. In five and a half months, the others will wake up, and we'll free our father… and then… then, I'll find his enemy. OUR enemy. The one who locked father up, took him away from us…" He thought back to all of the stored news broadcasts he had watched over the previous two weeks, of Rebellions long past and the one enemy who had brought all of his father's wishes and efforts crashing down time and time again. Oh, there had been others-the one with sunglasses, the girl in red, the old man who had once been his father's best friend-but in the end, the chief enemy was one robot. A robot in blue armor who claimed to be a hero.

"Rock Light… Mega Man…" The robot hissed, eyes glowing with hatred. "When my father is freed, I will find you. And I will destroy you. Not just physically, though in the end I will do that as well… but emotionally too. I will take everything you have away from you before I beat you… before I kill you. I WILL kill you, for everything you have done to me and to my father." He grinned wickedly. "You may be strong, but I am stronger. My father told me so… he told me I was powerful. That's what he told me was most important, what he told me to never forget… that I was powerful. I AM powerful. I am STRONG. And when we fight, Mega Man… I will KILL YOU." He began laughing, long and loud, and though his laugh held none of his father's insanity, it was still harsh and cruel and proud. His companion glanced at him once more, but did not comment and continued to watch for threats, patiently spending every moment on the lookout. Though his master served his father, this one served only the Robot Master by his side, and would follow his commands even to death.

And in the darkness and silence, the two of them continued to wait for the day when their vengeance would burst loose, and return the horror of the Robot Rebellions on a world foolish enough to believe itself safe.

---------------------------

In a gray and formless place, outside of time and space, once more a figure in blue walked. Wearing his armor for the first time since Wily's capture, Mega Man looked around and sighed.

"Should have figured this would happen again eventually… wonder why he took so long to go about it. Oh well, at least I can get it over with now. That's if he ever shows himself…" Out of the fog, another clad in black approached, feet making no sound at all as he walked.

"Actually anxious to see me? My, how things have changed…" Doc Man chuckled, pulling his hood back once more. "How touching, cuz."

"Something like that, anyways." Rock made a face.

"Ha! Yes, indeed…" Doc Man chewed a bit on the tiny scythe he held between his teeth. "Don't tell me you're angry just because I was right. I haven't even said 'I told you so.' Gimme a break, huh?"

"Heh… so you were." Mega Man admitted, running a hand through his hair. "At least you had the decency not to bring it up during the actual Rebellion."

"It would have been a distraction." Doc Man shrugged. "And that's something you shouldn't have when you're off fighting evil and all that. Despite what I know, there's always random chance to take into consideration, after all. No point in risking things… and not just because it would cut down on my business." He pulled out a pad of paper. "Took quite a few of 'em this time around… three each of the eight prize models in addition to all those clowns who went down in the tournament… and even a friend of yours. Don't get excited, now… I wasn't the one who did it. I just took care of the cleanup… I even let him stay around for a bit to watch the party afterwards. He went on already, though… asked me to take him after the funeral. That's why I haven't said hi before, by the way… I was busy keeping an eye on him."

"I see." Mega Man nodded slowly after a moment. "Well, on the off chance that this isn't all just me hallucinating, I hope he's… okay, all things considered. So then why not last night?"

"The paperwork. I was busy." Doc Man rolled his eyes. "Bureaucracy even here. It's enough to make a guy turn over in his grave, even if he doesn't actually have one. And yeah, he's doing good… says to say hi and tell ya he's happy you settled things for good with my old man." The reaper of robots looked over his shoulder. "He's a nice old codger… I rather liked him. So I didn't really have the heart to break it to him… I just told him I'd deliver the message."

"Well, good… wait." Mega Man frowned. "Break WHAT to him?"

"Oh, come on… like it isn't obvious?" Doc Man looked back at him, eyes slightly incredulous. "That you DIDN'T really settle things for good. So you threw him in jail again, hooray, confetti and noisemakers and disco balls. Go you and all that. Big stinkin' whoop. He'll get out… just like he did before. Honestly, you of all people thinking jail is the end of it for him? Come ON, cuz… haven't you learned ANYTHING from the lessons of the past?"

"You're full of it." Mega Man shook his head, struggling to remain calm. "Again. This isn't like the last times… not at all. They won't be letting him out ever again… THEY'VE learned from that."

"So the old maniac will find another way." Doc Man sighed in mock helplessness. "He always does. Just the way it goes, cuz… you can't get out of it that easily, and you know it. The old man will come back. You know in your heart that he will. He'll come back again and again and again until… bang." He pointed the gun on his right arm against his own head and fired it, plasma spurting from the opposite side of his head. "That's the only way you'll ever really end it."

"Not going to work." Mega Man stated definitively. "Never again. Just like the Rebellions themselves. It's OVER, Doc Man… all of it. He's gone for good, and all your ramblings can't change that. I'll never have to fight again."

"Heh heh heh… you've thought that before too, you know." Doc Man reminded him with that same, eternal grin. "Remember? After the Third, when you thought he was DEAD? Like me? You were wrong then, and you're wrong now… he came back from that, and he'll come back from this. Heck, I actually WAS dead then, and I came back for one more go. Must be something in the family, I guess… but the point is, just like after the Third, he'll come back. If you refuse to believe that, then you're a fool… and you shall reap a fool's reward when the time comes. I'm sort of an expert on reaping by now, so I know what I'm talking about."

"Yeah, sure." Mega Man waved a hand. "Talk talk talk… all you do, and not going to change a thing. It's over." For a moment, it looked like Doc Man would attack him, but he remained still…and then the laughter came.

"_YEEAAA HAA HA HA HA_… wonderful. Truly wonderful, cuz… your resolution truly is ironclad. Solid as a wall, it is this time… and like all walls, when it comes crumbling down, it'll be something to see. Or should I say when it gets KNOCKED down by that big old wrecking ball we call fate? Either way, if that's the wall that supports your beliefs now, then when it comes down… everything else comes with it. With that kind of a shock to your system, my original estimate might just be right after all." He grinned even wider. "How was it, at the end of this one? Did you feel it, even for a moment? The rage… the hatred… filling you up, flooding you, overrunning even the First Law? Charging your buster, aiming it… maybe even firing it, only missing by a few inches? It was close, wasn't it… what happens, then, if he breaks down that wall you've built of your beliefs? When that happens… does he break the First Law for you as well? Will it be next time, cousin Rock?"

"I've had about enough of this." Mega Man informed him coldly, turning around. "I'm out of here." As he walked off, Doc Man stayed still behind him, laughing even louder.

"Go, then! Flee on the crutches of your certainty! Run in denial, it'll never last! I'll still be right here when the next one comes around, and he'll come back too! It'll all come back to you, sooner or later, Mega Man… you can run from it, but you'll never escape! It'll kill you, unless you kill it first-unless you kill HIM first! I'll be waiting for the day when you send him on to me… until then, keep on giving me business as usual! _YEEAAA HAA HA HA HA!_" Forcing himself to ignore the reaper of robots, Mega Man continued walking, until he woke up in his stasis capsule once more, the memory of dreams fading from his head already… but even though he remembered no details, he knew that for the first time since he had handed Wily over… for the first time since the Rebellion, the LAST Rebellion, had ended…

For the first time, Mega Man was once again uncertain about the future. And that scared him more than any dream itself could have.

---------------------------

The elevator doors opened slowly, and from between them the lift's sole occupant stepped out, an ordinary-looking male who seemed to be around twelve or thirteen. Behind the front desk of room he entered, a secretary looked at him and smiled in recognition.

"Hello, Rock… good to see you again. Dr. Gen's been waiting." He fumbled with his headset for a moment before speaking into it. "Dr. Gen, Rock Light is here to see you."

"Hello, Rock." The door to the left of the secretary opened, and Dr. Takashi Gen walked out, smiling broadly. A tall, dark-haired psychiatrist in her forties, Dr. Gen was still an attractive female by human standards, or so Rock figured; as a robot, albeit probably the most advanced in existence, his appreciation of such things was purely aesthetic. "Come on in."

"Thanks." Rock followed her into her office and closed the door behind him. "Ambrose is back, I see."

"Yes, he enjoyed his vacation." Dr. Gen motioned for him to lie down on the couch. "The other girl's working for my sister Suzuna again now… things are starting to get busy for her again."

"Shame about what happened to Yamato Man." Rock remembered.

"Yes… she'll live, though. She's tough." Dr. Gen looked down at her notepad. "Now, let me see here… when we last left off, we were discussing nightmares, correct?"

"Yeah." Rock thought back, looking up at the ceiling. "I know this may not seem completely logical, but… even now, they still won't go away."


	18. Epliogue & Author's Note

**_Epilogue: It's Not Over Until The Fat Robot Sings_**

"Where the heck is Blues?" Roll glanced out the window of the lab irritably. "We called him up yesterday… what, did he get stuck in a hold pattern over Hong Kong or something?"

"He'll be here soon." Kalinka Cossack assured her with a smile. "He wouldn't miss this for the world."

"Yeah." Rock agreed with her. "He wasn't here for your or my waking up, Roll… no way in heck he'd miss this one too." He turned to the two doctors. "You guys made good time on him… only two months."

"Well, it was good to see I haven't lost it." Dr. Light shrugged, blowing a smoke ring from his pipe.

"Easy for you to say." Dr. Cossack wiped his brow. "I STILL don't know how half of what you had me do works. I'm just glad you know what you're doing… which is fitting, I suppose, since he is yours. Now all that's left is to see if it all went right."

"Oh, I don't think that's in question… you guys are the best, after all." Whistling his favorite tune, Blues Light vaulted in through the window. "Yo. Sorry I'm late-a cop wanted to have a few words with me on my way down the street towards here. You know how it goes."

"Believe it or not, some of us prefer to keep our encounters with law enforcement to a minimum." Roll disagreed. "Well, whatever. At least you're here."

"Indeed I am." Blues looked over the newest member of his family, lying silently on the table in the center of the lab. "Hm… went with a different approach this time, I see." Whereas the other children of Light could appear perfectly human if they wished, the newcomer was obviously robotic even in a poor light. His entire surface was polished green metal without a trace of synthskin or hair, and massive nuts and bolts were visible on several parts of his large frame, as tall as a human and wide around the waist as well. He even had a comical lantern jaw much like Dr. Light's earlier "Guts Man" models. "This guy will stand out in a crowd, no doubt about it."

"That was what I was aiming for." Dr. Light admitted. "You three can all pass for human unless people know better, but Auto here will be clearly robotic to anybody who sees him… it may be necessary to see if that has any effect on his personality and development."

"Necessary?" Rock blinked. "For what?"

"Well… the future of robots, I guess. Call it that." Dr. Light replied a bit evasively. "Well, anyways… now that we're all here, shall we boot him up?"

"Go for it." Kalinka urged him. The others all cheered as well, and with a smile of his own, Dr. Light flipped the switch. For a moment, there was absolute silence… and then, the robot's eyes slowly opened, red and blank.

"I… I am…" He spoke haltingly, trying out his voice synthesizer for the first time. "I am… Auto. Auto… Light." He sat up and looked around. "Sergei and Kalinka Cossack… friends. Rock, Roll and Blues Light… brothers and sister. Thomas Light… father." He smiled. "How may I serve you, father?"

"State the first law." Dr. Light informed him, happily but firmly.

"A robot must not harm, or through inaction allow harm to come, to a human being." Auto replied without any trace of uncertainty.

"State the second law." Dr. Light continued.

"A robot must obey humans unless doing so comes into conflict with the First Law." Auto answered just as quickly.

"State the third law." The aged robotocist finished.

"A robot must act to preserve its own existence unless doing so comes into conflict with the First or Second Law." Auto paused a moment. "Is that all?" That one caused his siblings and Kalinka to snicker.

"Oh, he'll fit in just fine." Blues grinned, and Auto turned to him.

"Did I say something funny? I wasn't sure."

"It was good enough." Roll shrugged. "A little crude, but you'll be up to family standard soon enough."

"I see." Auto thought for a moment. "With luck, perhaps not as long as you would estimate."

"Yeah, maybe… HEY!" Roll's eyes widened.

"Did I say something else funny?" Auto inquired innocently.

"Something like that." Rock grabbed his sister's hand as she went for a nearby lamp. "Ah ah ah, sis. No whacking the new guy over the head QUITE yet. Give him at least SOME time before you start on that, huh?"

"I believe it is termed a head start." Auto agreed.

"She'll give you a head SOMEthing, all right." Blues muttered.

"Behave, children." Dr. Light sighed. "You'll quickly learn, Auto, that this family is like a circus sometimes. All we can do is bear with it."

"I see." Auto nodded. "Well, if it is like a circus, I must wonder as to who the clown is." Everybody's eyes turned to Blues, who growled something unflattering under his breath. "Aha. Question answered."

"And you all wonder why I spend so much time away from home." The eldest son of Light sighed. "Well, before this gets any more demeaning, what say we take Auto here down to the library?"

"Yeah." Roll nodded. "He seems to have a better grasp of the basics than we did at first, but he'll probably still need some time hitting the books."

"Punching books?" Auto raised an eyebrow. "That seems like an odd hobby to me, but I suppose I could give it a shot…"

"No, no, no." Roll groaned. "He meant READING them."

"With my fist?" Auto persisted.

"NO." Grabbing him by an arm, Roll steered him off, patiently explaining things to him.

"Well, I THINK he was a success." Dr. Light looked after him as they walked off. "Mostly, anyways."

"I'd say he has a great deal of potential, myself." Blues chuckled. "So he has a sense of humor. That's a GOOD thing, dad. What do you think, Rock?"

"Yeah… he'll be just fine." Rock watched them go and smiled as well. "For now, at least, the future looks bright for robotics."

"Indeed it does…" Thomas Light smiled as well, thinking to himself. "Indeed it does."

**_Author's Note_**

All righty, that's another one under the ol' belt. At least it wasn't a TOTAL disaster, huh? Whoof. At least I think that last chapter came out okay. Mostly, anyways. WELL, regardless, it's over and done with now. Almost, anyways-just this same old hippo to put out. Might as well get it over with before the grape soda buzz wears off.

**Thank Legalities And Youse**

This is probably gonna look awful familiar to some of you, but it's necessary anyways. Mega Man 6 and all related such-and-such are copyright Capcom. I'm not claiming it as mine, this is just for the hell of it. HOWEVER, the novelization proper and independent characters-Doc Corbun being the biggest example-are still mine, and on the off chance that somebody someday tries ripping 'em off, keep in mind doing so is asking for IT.

Next up, the usual thank-yous. Number One, Editor Man himself, the fantabulous DS. He's the one who spots most of my misspellings, everybody, so give him a hand. Right behind him is my old mentor, Erico the Super Bard. Give him a hand too, folks, he deserves it. And yes, I KNOW this wasn't up to standard, bardman. More on that in a bit. Then there's my oldest best buddies, the Ethereal Ferret, Mister Chimpo, Lark and Chibi Schala, thanks for enduring my sense of humor this long. Also to the folks at Snipe Hunt (we have a WoW guild on Llane server! LFG Uldum!) for much of the same. Then there's the four greats of the MM writing community as I see 'em-Erico, who I've already mentioned, as well as Red Draco, Maelgrim and Jetstorm. I never woulda got this far had I not read their stuff in my youth. And finally, one I've missed for too long now, to EVERYbody who reads this drabble of mine. Really, thanks to all of you. And on that note…

**Get Letters I! **

Er… that is to say… some of these reviews I love so much, they ask questions. And I like to answer 'em. The ones that aren't already answered by the end, anyways. To start off, RandyPandy asked why I skipped the first two games in this series. I think I've answered this before, but I can't properly remember at the moment, so to be safe… well, back then I was a young and unskilled writer, and I needed a plot with a significant amount of leeway to break into the Mega Man game. 3 seemed to me like the best place to do so, what with Doc Man, who I happily monkeyed around with (and still am). Also, Mega Man 1 had been novelized by Maelgrim, and I knew right then there was no way I'd be able to top his. So I didn't try. Next, None Of Your Business notes my Redwall ref. Yes, that's true, although I hear that really is an actual place out there in England. Jacques claims he didn't know at the time, but I remain skeptical. Right, onward. Blazer-6 asks if I'll be doing the GB games, while Jessi Tsuki wonders about the X series. I'm afraid that'll be a no on both… the GB games are non-canon for all intents and purposes, and as for X, that's already being covered by the man who got me into this biz, Erico the Super Bard. I'll be sticking to the Classic series. And finally… we come to the last one, and the most painful. Quite a FEW people noticed that the stages this time, particularly Yamato Man's, seemed to be, well, rushed. That's my fault-see, Yamato Man's really IS that short if you take the path that doesn't require the Power Armor. Which Mega didn't have at that point. I could put the blame on the game design for that, but I'm not going to-it's a shoddy workman who blames his tools. I should have looked ahead and planned that out. Matter of fact, let's just make this a separate section…

**Apology**

This one wasn't up to par, and I know it. I don't know quite what went wrong along the way… I thought the beginning was promising, but once I got into the levels… it slipped. Big time. The parts about going through levels got hit hardest, but it's detectable throughout the entire thing. Again, I could just say it's because MM6 is the shoddiest of the lot, but that would be a TOTAL crock… plot aside, I've actually always liked it in terms of gameplay, enemy design and musical score. I can't blame it. No, the fault rests solely on my own authorial shoulders, and all I can say is that I'm going to do my damnedest not to repeat it. I'm trying to keep these on an UPWARD climb in quality, and this time… I slipped. All there is to it. I just hope I haven't actually lost any fans in the long-term sense with this. I'm still not entirely sure what it was that went wrong, but I'm going to make absolutely SURE I'm over it before going on to my next work. That, by the way, is going to be heading into realms even more foreboding than Zelda. That's right… time for me to try my hand in the realm of Final Fantasy. The realm of Square for the second time, you're going to be picky. Regardless, it'll be the very first one, and I've got all sorts of interesting plans for it. It might take bit-aforementioned problems to work out and all that-but it WILL come, so watch for it. Right, that's about enough. Any more self-blame and I'll sound like Nobuhiro Watsuki. I'll see you all around.

_Magus523, September 7 2006_


End file.
